Akito's Little Problem
by TT-Avatar-FruitBasket-Ouran
Summary: Akito has one major problem: a fourteen year old girl named Aloe who is a member of the zodiac, who knows all of his secrets. When she leaves the Sohma house and begins living at Shigure's house, certain secrets will be spilled. Mainly it's about her getting to know her older brother, Kyo better and her becoming friends with Tohru, and helping them all to overcome the Sohma Curse.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Guys! First fanfic for fruits baskets! Tell me what you think. **

**So, here's the deal: I love putting my personal character into each story of mine. It's just a thing of mine, so don't be surprised if you find my main character hidden inside another one of my stories. :3 **

**Actually, my character is a person in my life (not me, obviously) but I really like them like a sibling sort of thing. Anyways, just thought you'd like to know that. **

**So it takes place while Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo are still in their first year of highschool (15 yrs old). I might have altered the characters a little, so I apologize if they aren't what you expected. Please just tell me what you think and give me some tips if you can! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, although I wish I did. :/**

* * *

"I think it would be better, perhaps," Hatori said to his boss and patient, Akito. "If we allowed her to live elsewhere." Hatori was sitting in front of Akito, who was at the time, fuming about the girl who stayed in the Sohma house. He hated her, almost as much as her brother.

Akito growled to himself. "Elsewhere being Shigure's house?"

Hatori sighed. "It could give you a break from her, and perhaps she can learn the difficulty out of the house." Hatori honestly wasn't trying to help Akito, but more to save the girl from Akito's uncontrollable fury.

"Yes, perhaps." Akito agreed. "But that Tohru girl," he said as though there was a bad taste in his mouth. "She might encourage her to be even more rebellious."

"Better that, than her destroying the house day after day." Hatori contradicted quietly.

Akito smirked to himself, his hair falling into his face. "Yes, I agree." He turned to Hatori. "How soon can you send her off?"

"Oh, I can drive her there right now." Hatori promised. _It's Saturday, _Hatori thought. _They are bound to be at the house. And Kyo and Yuki are probably still fighting, as usual. _

"Good." Akito said. "Take her now, but remember to set the rules for Shigure."

Hatori nodded. _Right, because Shigure is going to follow the rules. _He got up and left the room, quickly closing the door behind him. He made his way to Aloe, the girl they had been speaking about, who was probably in her room.

He sighed. Aloe had destroyed her room, burned down two trees, and broke five windows. Mostly on accident, except for the windows. She broke those for the enjoyment of Akito's angry reaction.

Aloe was part of the zodiac, but in the strangest way possible: she changed into any and all of the zodiac members. It's like how Akito is part of the zodiac, but never transforms; except she's part of the zodiac and always transforms.

Sometimes, it's a rat. Sometimes, it's a dog. Sometimes, it's a dragon. It changes each time, but sometimes repeats. It is totally random. Something that always drove Akito up a wall with anger. She never stopped changing, though.

Hatori opened Aloe's door, and saw she was packing her things. Her bright copper, almost amber eyes looked shocked and embarrassed. "Oh, Hatori.. I didn't see you-"

"Running away?" He asked. "Highly irregular of you. But fortunately for you, I've convinced Akito to let you move in at Shigure's."

She lit up like a christmas tree. "Really? Shigure's okay with it?"

Hatori nodded. "In fact, he and I have been trying to convince Akito for some time now. But there's one thing you should probably know," She nodded, suddenly very serious. "There's a girl named Tohru Honda, and she's not from our family. She knows about us, but she doesn't know about you."

Aloe sighed. "So I should tell her that I transform into the first animal I transform into, right?" Hatori nodded.

"Come on, let's finish packing your things." Hatori said dismissively, picking up some of her objects and stuffing it into her suitcase. He found a box of books she had already packed up, including a photobook. He placed it beside her suitcase, and helped her finish all the packing.

They both loaded it into his car, and hopped in. She squirmed uncomfortably in the chair, not being in cars very often. She loved the feeling of moving, leaving the Sohma house, and finding herself at a place where she could be more free than she had ever been.

She and Momiji and Haru were all the same age: 14. She and Momiji were almost always hanging out, and she and Haru talked a lot too. She and Kisa got on well, but when Kisa went mute Aloe started to feel bad for her. She tried helping Kisa, but she was almost never home.

Hiro got along best with Kisa, but if there had to be someone who he also got on well with, it was Aloe. Although, at certain times he told her he hated her, and they started arguing, but in the end they came to be friends again.

Aloe rolled down her window, watching Hatori carefully to make sure that he wasn't going to scold her for it. When she noticed he looked fine, if not happy, she stuck her head out the window. The fresh breeze was so refreshing and new, she just wanted it to last forever.

She came back inside the car and rolled up her window, trying to tame her bright orange-red hair. She sighed and settled for pulling it back into a ponytail, allowing some of it to fall out and into her face.

"So what's Tohru like?" Aloe asked excitedly.

Hatori struggled to keep down a chuckle, which he found very odd. "Actually, you two are a lot alike. The only difference I can see is your looks and perhaps the fact that she can cook."

Aloe frowned. "What's that mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that your last attempt to cook nearly burned down the Sohma main house." Hatori played with her, smiling just the smallest amount. It was rare, but Hatori did occasionally make jokes.

She crossed her arms, and laughed to herself. "I'm not that bad." She let the silence take over for a minute, then she turned back to Hatori. "What's Kyo like now? How's he been doing? And how about Yuki?"

Hatori shrugged. "Kyo and Yuki still fight, but Kyo's begun to grow up."

"Really? Is he still throwing tantrums?" She mused.

"Sort of." Hatori pulled over the car. "Here we are, Shigure's house."

They unpacked the car, pulling out about three suitcases worth of junk. Aloe threw one over her shoulder and carried another in her hands easily, while Hatori pulled the other one. Somehow, she got the strength of her family. Hatori could never explain, since her brother was so bent on having strength.

They walked through the small forest which Aloe found the most refreshing of the entire trip. She saw so many places she could hide where no one could ever find her, and she could live forever. Well, until she got hungry, which was usually whenever she smelled food.

She found herself at the door she had imagined so many times, but never actually opened. Her heart soared for a moment, until Hatori broke it and knocked on the door.

Shigure opened it, his drunk looking face smiling like usual. Aloe threw the bags onto the porch and hugged Shigure quickly, saying little things like, "How are you?" and "I missed you!". She grabbed her stuff again and followed Shigure into the house, happy to see it.

Her eyes sparkled happily at the sight of his house. A small table in most rooms, except for the kitchen and washroom. She placed her stuff next to the table in the living room and sprinted through the hall, embracing her natural born curiosity. She bolted back to Shigure, and began to overwhelm him with questions. "Where's Kyo? Where's Yuki? Where's this Tohru person? Where's my room? Do you have a t.v.? What time is dinner? Do I have a curfew? What school will I be attending? Is there a dress code? Do I have to wear a skirt?"

Shigure shook his head, trying to overcome the wave of questions. "Er, the boys and Tohru are picking up groceries to prepare dinner for you, which will be at about 6. Your room will be upstairs, next to Tohru's. Yes, I have a t.v. You have a curfew of 10 pm. You will go to school with Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru and just follow them around. Yes, there is a dress code, but I'm not sure about the skirt." He smiled. "Anything else?"

"How's the book coming?" She asked, chipper.

A bead of sweat formed on his face. "Oh, the book, well.."

Hatori sighed and shook his head. "Poor Mi. I'm surprised she hasn't committed suicide yet."

Shigure forgot about Hatori for a little bit. "Ha'ri!" He said happily, coming at Hatori with a hug, who coldly walked away from his attempt.

"I'm just here to drop off Aloe." Hatori said, pulling the suitcases up the stairs. Aloe quickly picked them all up out of Hatori's hands, piled all three onto her arms, and began whistling as she marched up the stairs to the room beside Tohru's.

Hatori shook his head and looked wearily at Shigure. "Good luck. That girl has already broken five windows, lit two trees on fire, and almost destroyed her room. Plus, with all that strength she might break your house." Hatori turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh yea, she eats twice her weight in each meal, so you'd better tell Tohru to make her twice the servings."

Hatori turned his head towards the stairs. "Bye, Aloe!"

And just like that, she sprinted down the stairs, hugged Hatori, and he left.

She turned to Shigure. "So what do you do all day?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm, well, usually Mi is nagging me about my book and things, but maybe we could help you get all set up." He smiled his famous smile.

She smiled back. "Thanks!" They both made their way up the stairs and began to unpack her things.

* * *

-About thirty minutes later-

"I'm telling you, nobody could ever eat _that _many leeks in one meal, Tohru." Kyo said arguably. His deep hatred for leeks was almost as deep as his hatred for Yuki.

"But we have an extra guest!" She said brightly, smiling as she skipped through the house to the kitchen, where she sat the groceries. "Besides, I want to make sure what she likes is here."

Yuki smiled nervously. "Miss Honda, trust me, it will only be you, me, and Shigure eating those leeks." His voice was quiet and soft, yet somehow, affirming.

"Why?" She asked, cocking her head to the side curiously.

"KYO!" A voice shouted, and like a flash Aloe bolted down the stairs looking blurry to Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru. All she could see was the red-orange hair that somehow resembled- wait a minute..

Tohru looked at Yuki. "Is she..."

Yuki smiled. "Kyo's sister? Yes." They both looked over at Kyo and Aloe. Aloe was hugging Kyo, while Kyo looked to be attempting to hug her, but it also looked like he was trying to strangle her. Knowing Kyo, they both assumed he was trying to kill her and broke the hug.

Tohru finally got a good look at Aloe. She had short, thick red hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. She was average sized, with skinny arms and large legs. She seemed to be about one inch shorter than Momiji, if not the same height. She wore jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt that was much too big for her, swallowing her whole. Her face, unlike Kyo's, was pale like a ghost, and covered in tiny freckles. Her eyes matched Kyo's, though, with a bit more brown to them.

"Miss Honda," Yuki said. "This is Aloe, Kyo's younger sister."

Tohru smiled. "Hi! I'm pleased to meet you! I'm Tohru Honda, but you can just call me Tohru!" She said cheerfully.

"Hi! I'm Aloe. I guess it is obvious that Kyo's my brother, since we look a lot alike-"

"No we don't!" Kyo argued.

Tohru looked them over, "Actually, Kyo, you do look a lot alike. Same hair, same eyes,"

"Same clumsy demeanor," Yuki said coldly to Kyo.

"Shut up you stupid rat!" Kyo shouted angrily. He gave Yuki his death glare, trying to decide whether or not to begin a fight. He decided not to, for the sole reason that it would be embarrassing if his sister saw him getting beat by that stupid sissy boy rat.

Aloe blushed. "I'm not that clumsy, am I?"

Tohru shook her head. "You don't seem clumsy to me, and even if you are that means that we'll get along just fine. I'm constantly tripping over things and I've accidentally ruined a perfectly good dinner."

"I can't even cook a dinner!" Aloe laughed to herself, enjoying this Tohru girl's company. Tohru laughed along with Aloe, until the boys were done glaring at each other and hoping that the other one would melt by doing so.

Yuki regained his princely stature, and offered for them all to sit down. Tohru agreed, and offered to make the tea for them all. Aloe offered to help, but Tohru turned her down and Kyo pulled her down next to him.

"So how are you doing?" Yuki asked nicely, looking at her with his beautifully violet eyes.

Aloe smiled. "I'm doing a lot better now that I'm here!" She looked around once more, trying to soak up all the happiness as though it were all about to be taken away.

"That stupid Akito still giving you trouble?" Kyo asked viciously, suddenly very protective of his younger sister.

She shrugged. "I guess you could say that. He doesn't like me very much, since I'm so different from him yet so.. alike. I mean, us being related how we are really makes him upset even more."

Both boys nodded, understanding everything she meant in her vague sentence.

"Anyways," She said, trying to get the topic off of herself. "What about you guys? How has school been for you?"

They both cast each other glances, trying to determine who would go first. Yuki spoke, "Well, it's been fine, thank you. I'm still having trouble with hiding the secret, but I've been doing well in school."

"Well I've been trying my hardest to avoid all those girls at school, since they've almost transformed me about a million times.. Oh yea, and I;m passing my classes." Kyo said.

"Barely.." Yuki whispered quiet enough Kyo couldn't hear him.

Tohru entered the room, holding up a tray of cups and a tea pot. "The tea's ready!" She smiled to herself. She sat it down, and sat beside Yuki, then frowned. "I forgot one of the groceries outside!"

Aloe smiled. "Let me get it, I want to help out!" She marched out the door, just in time for the Ever-Reliable-Mailman to transform her.

Thankfully, just like it happened with Kagura, Yuki was there in time to save the day by forcing the mailman off the property kindly. They all ran to Aloe, who, as luck would have it, transformed into a bright red cat.

* * *

**Yay! One chapter down, a lot more to go! Tell me what you think and message me your questions, and obviously, please review the story! Oh yea, you may be wondering why I'm not making Kyo or anyone cuss.. I don't like reading cussing, and I hate writing it too. So, if you're one of those bent on cuss words being in my story, then I'm afraid you might want to find a different story. **

**Thanks! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! Yay! Tell me your opinions! :) Review!**

**Thanks! :)**

* * *

"She's... a cat?" Tohru asked curiously.

Aloe looked over at Kyo and Yuki, who were both at a loss for words. Thankfully, Shigure appeared before them. "Er, yes. In a way."

Aloe walked up to Tohru, who picked her up and looked into her eyes. Tohru smiled. "Well, I guess it's even more obvious that you and Kyo are related, huh?"

"I guess.." Aloe said, smiling a little in her cat form. "Heh.." She looked at Kyo, who was just staring. He knew her secret. He knew she could transform into any animal in the zodiac. He just didn't think the zodiac included him, since he was cursed. But now, he realized it meant _all _of the zodiac.

Tohru grabbed Aloe's clothes, then carried her inside up to her room. Just in time too. By the time Tohru had shut the door, and puff of slightly pink smoke went off. A couple moments later, Aloe appeared from the room, smiling awkwardly.

"I just never thought that there was two cats!" Tohru smiled to herself.

Aloe looked up at Tohru. _Gosh, she looks like a space cadet. I wonder if she's always that far out. _"So, are we going downstairs to make dinner, or.."

"Oh," Tohru returned to earth. "We have a long while until I need to start dinner." Tohru smiled a little. "Since you're Kyo's sister, I'm going to guess you don't like leeks very much.."

Aloe frowned and stepped backwards. "No, not at all. I like most foods, but I hate leeks, spinach, and avocado." She smiled to herself. "Hatori thought I was allergic for a while, until I got tested. Turns out, I'm not. I just hate them."

Tohru smiled at the antic-dote. "Do you need any help getting unpacked?"

"Yeah, would you mind helping?" Aloe asked nicely, trying not to be too pushy.

"Not at all!" Tohru smiled, walking into the bedroom with Aloe. She saw that Aloe and Shigure had already made the bed and opened up the suitcases. Aloe had already stuffed most of her clothes into the dresser on the opposite wall to her bed. The box of books was lying there, and most of her possessions were sprawled out in the suitcases.

Tohru started organizing the books while Aloe tried to start putting her possessions in places she would remember. Tohru saw cute mangas that she had seen before with Socky and Uo, and a few novels that she remembered being assigned to read in certain classes. There was even a book on physics, that had highlighted words and little notes written in the margin of the pages, and some pieces of paper with writing shoved between some of the pages.

Tohru found a nice shelf that she organized most of the books on, until she found a large, thick photobook. She looked over her shoulder, and saw that Aloe wasn't watching, and let her curiosity take over. She flipped open the book, and saw picture of Kyo and Aloe as kids, playing and chasing each other. There was an abundance of pictures of Momiji and Aloe and Haru and Aloe. But then, there was something Tohru couldn't explain..

There was a picture of the handsome boy with long black hair with Aloe. They were sitting together, smiling a little. Behind them was a woman Tohru didn't recognize. Tohru remembered the name immediatley, as though it were burned into her: Akito. Akito and Aloe sat beside one another.

Then, next to that photo was obviously the next picture taken. It was Akito throwing Aloe off of him, Akito looking angrier than ever. Aloe looked scared, but not shocked. As though she expected Akito to react like he did. The woman behind them had disappeared, but it didn't really matter to Tohru.

"I see you found my photobook." Aloe said behind Tohru, making Tohru jump and look as though she had just been stabbed, even though she hadn't been.

Tohru used the logic that Aloe was angry like Kyo. "I'm so sorry, I just saw it and I thought it looked cute so I started to look through the pictures, please don't be mad!" Tohru opened her eyes, and to her surprise Aloe wasn't angry.

"It's alright." Aloe smiled a bit. "You know Akito, and he knows you."

Tohru laughed nervously. "Yea, I don't think he likes me very much, actually."

"Let me put it this way," Aloe said, a wider smile on her face. "Akito likes you about as much as he likes me, which isn't the best thing for you if you're wanting to be best friends or something.."

Tohru giggled, then turned back to the photo. "Who's the woman in the back then?"

"Oh.." Aloe looked at her face quickly, then turned her head. "Just some lady."

Aloe closed the book and put it on the shelf next to the other books, then returned to setting up her room. Tohru continued putting books on shelves, until she finished.

She looked up and saw that, miraculously, Aloe had created her room within a few minutes.

They went downstairs, and saw that, as usual, the boys were fighting.

"I'm telling you, her hair is red." Yuki said quietly.

"No, it's orange!" Kyo shouted angrily.

"Orange hair is generally called red." Yuki said, crossing his arms.

"That's stupid! Why would anyone call orange red?" Kyo balled his hands into fists.

"Perhaps it's stupid like throwing a tantrum over a hair color." Yuki replied coldly, turning up his nose.

"D'you wanna go rat boy?" Kyo growled, holding up his fists in a fighting stance.

"Guys!" Aloe cried. "Would you quit fighting? Gosh, it's like you're still seven years old." She cocked her head at them. "Except, older and.. taller."

Kyo growled, and Yuki smiled, as though he had won their little fight. Kyo went upstairs to do who knows what (Tohru assumed he was going to climb onto the roof) and Yuki stayed downstairs to catch up with Aloe. She told them all about how she had almost destroyed her room, and Tohru found the story both nerve-wracking and funny. She also told them about the first tree she accidentally burned down with only a package of pens, a glass of soda, and a rubber bouncy ball.

Shigure came out of his room (which caused them all to wonder what he had been doing for the past hour or so) and joined in the story telling, until he got down to his point.

"I got a phone call from Momiji today," Shigure said. "He wanted to know how Tohru was, and I told him you were well, then he asked how Aloe was. Apparently he misses you a lot, and since Haru is out with Rin the only person to hang out with is Hiro."

Aloe laughed for a moment, imagining the fights that were now going on between sweet little Momiji and angry Hiro, who must be ready to strangle Momiji as Shigure spoke.

"He also wanted to know when he can come over. I told him tomorrow was good, and he promised to bring practically the whole family." Shigure said, looking amused.

"The whole family?" Aloe asked curiously.

Shigure waved his hand dissmissively. "Haru, Hiro, Kisa, Hatori, Aaya possibly," She sighed, telling everyone about her obvious disliking of Ayame. "Oh and he said he might bring your bunny plushie that you forgot at his house."

She frowned. "But I don't have a bunny plushie- wait a minute!" She said, smiling to herself at the smart idea Momiji had come up with. "Good grief, he never quits playing does he?"

"Nah, and it drives me crazy." Kyo growled, walking down the stairs and joining them.

Tohru looked outside. "Oh my gosh! Is it that late already? I'd better start dinner!" She got up quickly, followed by Aloe closely.

"Can I help?"

Tohru smiled. "Of course! Do you know how to work a rice cooker?"

Aloe thought for a moment. "Uhm, sorta."

Tohru giggled a little. "That's alright, you can start the tea!"

Aloe smiled, and found the kettle and filled it up with water. She skipped over to the stove and turned the dial to '2'. She walked away and grabbed the box of tea, and put it in the water.

"Anything else I can help with?" Aloe offered.

"Well," Tohru thought for a moment while she made the rice balls. "To tell you the truth, the only thing I need now is plates for everyone."

Aloe smiled. "Great! I'll go get them!" She walked down to the cabinets, where she checked about five before she finally found the plates. She picked up five and carried them over to Tohru, who began placing riceballs on each plate.

Tohru frowned. "Aloe, is that the- TEA!" She said, pointing at the kettle which was bubbling out all over the stove.

Out of panic, Aloe ran to the kettle and tried picking it up, but only burned her hand. In reaction, she threw it at the sink, shattering the kettle.

She looked at the stove, and realized the knob was turned backwards to '9', not '2'. She quickly turned it off with her not burned left hand. She held her right hand tenderly, looking at Tohru apologetically. "Sorry!"

Before Tohru could respond or tell Aloe that it was alright, Aloe sprinted out the door and out of the house, running through the forest. Tohru ran into the room with the others, who looked nervously at Tohru.

"What happened?" Kyo demanded.

Tohru was at a loss for words. "She ruined the tea, then burned herself, then broke the kettle, then ran away!" She didn't know how to react other than running after Aloe, but since it was almost pitch black out, there was know way she could have seen her.

Kyo growled angrily, and started running after her. "Aloe, wait! Come back!"

Yuki looked worried too. He and Shigure went and found flashlights, and they all spread out, trying to find her. Shigure stopped and called Hatori before leaving, telling him as much as Tohru had told him, then ran out with the rest of them.

Kyo found himself tripping over branches and stumps, leaving before Shigure could have given him a flashlight. He heard the 'Oof!' that he had heard so many times before. Hatori had deemed Aloe a 'Fall Risk', constantly tripping over flat surfaces. And making _that _'Oof!'.

He ran towards it, trying to see everything around him. He found his way to a body that belonged to his younger sister laying down on the ground. She seemed to be unconscious, but he wasn't sure. He picked her up, and to his relief, he felt her heart beating. He struggled to carry her, seeing how she felt like she was made out of lead. He had carried Tohru, who seemed to be only a hundred pounds. But his little sister, though really strong and talented, seemed to be a hundred and thirty pounds, at least.

"I found her!" Kyo called, walking to the house. The others seemed to materialize instantaneously.

"Is she okay?" Tohru asked fearfully. "I'm so sorry!"

Shigure helped Kyo carry Aloe inside and onto the couch. Shigure ran back to the phone and told Hatori they found her, and Hatori sighed loudly.

"I told you she was a handful." Hatori said over the phone.

"Well, yes, but still, it's a little like taking care of Kyo." Shigure responded, and Kyo started fuming at him and threatening to wipe that stupid grin off his face.

Hatori smiled, happy that Shigure couldn't see him with a smile on his face. "I'll bring my things when I come over tomorrow. Just, remember to lock the doors and windows."

Shigure nodded, then remembered that Hatori couldn't see him. "Okay Ha'ri, but I doubt she'd run away again. I mean, it's not like burning the tea was her fault."

When they had finished talking, Shigure and the others found that Tohru had miraculously set the table up for them to eat. They sat down and ate silently, still thinking about what had just happened.

When they had finished, Tohru put everything away, still wishing she hadn't let Aloe make the tea.

* * *

**-The next day-**

"Come on everyone!" Momiji called happily, sprinting down the path to Shigure's house to see everyone. Hiro was grumbling behind him, wishing the stupid rabbit would grow up a little. Kisa looked excited to see Tohru, and also pretty happy to see Aloe.

Hatori and Haru stood behind, waiting for Ayame to straighten out his 'perfect new kimono' he had created. They walked behind the others calmly, until Tohru opened the door, when Haru and Ayame sped off leaving Hatori as the only mature adult.

"Hi guys!" Tohru greeted them, her space-cadet look still on her face.

Kisa began to stick to her like duct tape, Hiro was happy to escape the vicinity of Tohru, and Momiji also hugging Tohru. Haru greeted her, and passed quickly to see the others. Ayame smiled and walked in, to Yuki's horror, wearing a new purple kimono the color of Yuki's hair.

Hatori entered, greeting everyone like normal, not showing any emotion whatsoever.

Aloe was walking around, her hand badly wrapped by Yuki and Shigure, which meant it was pretty loose. She hugged Momiji, happy to see a normal face. She hugged Kisa, who was still stuck to Tohru. She greeted everyone happily, until Hatori walked up, frowning at her, obviously not pleased.

"Aloe, what have I told you about running away?" Hatori asked.

She looked around at the group of people that was now staring at her. She looked back up at Hatori nervously. "Fine, I'm coming." She said, going into her room with Hatori. Kyo and Shigure followed after, along with Tohru.

They all entered the room with them, and Hatori told them to sit down, and asked Tohru if she could wait outside. Aloe frowned, wondering why, then she realized.

Tohru sat outside, but she figured out that there was a vent that went from the wall in her room to the wall of the hall. She listened to the vent cautiously, curious as to what they were talking about.

"Aloe, if Akito had found out, he might have brought you back." Hatori said.

Tohru heard a wince, which was obviously Aloe's, since nobody in there was a girl.

"You know why he's so upset with you, right?" Hatori asked.

"Because we're related, and I'm the opposite of him." Tohru wished she knew what that was supposed to mean. She scooted closer, listening to the sound of bandages unwrapping.

Someone sighed, then Kyo growled. "It's not her fault they're siblings!"

Tohru gasped silently, wishing she could have heard this earlier. That must have been why they were in pictures together. But, then, if they were siblings, then did that mean that the lady in the picture was their mother? She wondered so much how that all connected, but Hatori spoke.

"I know that, but Akito wants to have any reason to have her trapped back at the Sohma house, in _the_ room." His voice was suddenly very serious, as though nagging her about this. "I know you were scared at the time, Aloe, but you should know that Tohru is kind-hearted and doesn't have the ability to be mean. She would never hurt you, or give you to Akito for that matter."

Everyone was silent for a moment, so Hatori continued.

"Now that we're done, let's wrap this bandage _properly._" He opened something, "Kyo, go let Tohru back inside. I'm through."

Kyo made his way to the door, and found Tohru pressed against the vent, eavesdropping. She looked nervous and flustered. She was about to make an excuse, when Kyo held his finger to his lips, saying quiet.

"Come on, Tohru, you can come in now." He said as though she was far away.

She entered the room with him, were Hatori was checking Aloe's hand and fixing it back up.

* * *

**-About an Hour Later-**

Kyo pulled Tohru onto the roof with him, and she was just wondering what he was going to say.

"What'd you hear?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

She thought. "I heard she and Akito are brother and sister."

Kyo sighed. "I guess I should explain now.." He looked up at her. "My mother died right before Aloe was born, and my dad married Akito's mom, had Aloe, then got divorced." He sighed. "It's really complicated to explain each little detail."

Tohru just stared at him. "So, you and Aloe are as much brother and sister as she and Akito are?"

"Yea." Kyo said, shrugging. "In fact, Aloe's family relationship story is pretty odd. She and Yuki and Ayame are cousins, along with Shigure. But Hatori's her uncle in some odd way. I can't even explain everything. It makes no sense at all. All I know is what I've been told."

Tohru looked down at the trees. "Why is she a cat if Akito is who he is?"

Kyo winced. "Well, she's part of the zodiac like he is, but she's his polar opposite. He doesn't turn into anything, and she turns into everything. I didn't even know she turned into a cat until recently."

"Anything else I should know?" Tohru asked.

"Well," Kyo said. "You should know she's really sensitive. Not in the mental sense, but I mean a girl can transform her. That's why she only hugs members of the zodiac."

Tohru wished there was someway she could understand everything about what Kyo had just said, but for now, all she could do was listen and let time do the rest.

* * *

**Okay, so, I'm going to say the rest in the next chapter. I'm trying to keep it at three or four chapters. Opinions? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya! I hope everyone has been doing well! **

**Oh yea, Akito Sohma 101, I know they are older than what I made them. I said they were younger so I could use that to my advantage. I do it a lot actually :3 And I'll read one of your fanfics as soon as I can! :)**

**Read, Review, and Enjoy! **

* * *

**The Next Day, Monday.**

Kyo had already gotten up and gotten dressed, and was currently eating his breakfast. Yuki had gotten up, but was more or less sitting down trying to wake up enough to get up. Tohru was up bright and early, buzzing around like a bee trying to find an outfit of her's Aloe could wear. She eventually settled to give her the first one she had got first term, which fit almost perfectly except the fact it was a bit loose.

The shirt swallowed her whole, but the skirt seemed to fit. Aloe kept looking down nervously, as though the skirt would fall off or something.

"Tohru?" Aloe called as Tohru skimmed through her room for a belt.

Tohru looked up. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about the tea kettle." Aloe said, staring at the ground.

"You know," Tohru smiled, getting up to look at Aloe. "I did something like that when I was little. I accidentally dropped the kettle on the ground," She straightened the jacket on Aloe. "But you know what? My mom didn't get mad. She knew I didn't mean to." Tohru pulled on her long socks, and handed a pair to Aloe. "And I know you didn't mean to either."

Aloe smiled. "Thanks Tohru." She found her way to a mirror, where she kept adjusting the skirt. She sighed. "So I'm going to be in your class?"

Tohru nodded. "Since you're still too young to be in my high school, you'll just follow me and Yuki around." She paused. "I don't think you should follow Kyo, though. He's ditched a bunch of times."

"Same ol' Kyo!" Aloe laughed to herself. She pulled on her shoes, which didn't go with the skirt at all, and continued down the stairs. Tohru followed after, grabbing her backpack and skipping down the stairs.

Yuki had made his way downstairs, and he seemed to be as awake as he'd get this morning. "Are we all ready to go?"

They all walked out of the door, Tohru humming happily like there wasn't anyone in the world. Yuki walking in a straight line, careful not to trip, Kyo just wondering how long the school day would be today and how much of the trouble he could avoid; and Aloe walking behind Kyo and Yuki, wondering what this school would be like.

* * *

"So, Tohru, how old's this friend of yours?" Uo asked, looking down at Aloe. She got her face closer to Aloe's to examine it, and Aloe leaned backwards, losing her balance and barely catching herself before falling backwards.

Tohru smiled at Aloe's mistake, thinking about it as if it were Kisa who had fallen. "She's about our age."

Hana looked at Tohru, staring at her with a certain electric feeling to her eyes. "Really Tohru? She's our age?"

Aloe broke through Hana's stare. "Yup! My name's Aloe. I'm staying with Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo!"

"Really?" Uo looked down at her. Uo laughed. "I get it now! You're Kyo's sister, aren't you?"

Aloe and Tohru looked at one another nervously, hoping that they aren't blowing Aloe's cover, or the Sohma family secret by telling them.

"H-how'd you know?" Aloe asked, giving a small fake laugh.

"Not only do you both have the aura of a clumsy person and the same sarcastic, hard-headed attitude," Hana said swiftly, circling Aloe like a hawk. "You both have the same colored hair and similar eyes." She got close to her. "You also give off the feeling of an animal." Hana got closer to Aloe, staring into her copper eyes. Aloe closed her eyes and backed up.

Aloe frowned. "What do you mean clumsy aura?" She stepped towards Hana angrily. "I am not clumsy!" She balled her hands into fists. "And what's 'hard-deaded attitude' supposed to mean?"

Uo laughed some more. "Yup, that's Kyo's sister." She stepped forward, looking at Aloe's hair. "Did you _both _dye your hair? Good grief, he's taking an innocent little girl with him to complete failure."

"It's my natural color!" She threw her hands in the air, attracting more attention.

Tohru smiled. _Maybe even though they're a year apart, they'll become friends. At least, that is hoping the Kyo in her won't start a war between her and Uo. _

"So what are you guys, twins?" Uo asked, frowning down at her.

"Obviously not," Hana said, looking Aloe over some more. "Kyo is taller and larger, and seems.. if possible.. more matured."

Uo smiled. "So you aren't our age?"

Aloe looked to Tohru, who was struggling to come up with an excuse. Thankfully, Kyo and Yuki came in just the amount of time to prevent them from having to come up with anything too far-fetched.

"Hello, Miss Uotani, Miss Hanajima. How have you been?" Asked Yuki, sounding even more like a prince every day.

"Oh, hi Yuki!" Tohru said. "I've just been introducing Uo and Hana to Aloe!"

Kyo frowned. "Oh no! Not that yankee! She's gonna corrupt my little sister!" He stepped forward protectively, only for Uo to toss him away.

"Relax, I've just been talking to her." Uo said, putting her arm over Aloe's shoulder. She lifted up a long, thick strand of Aloe's hair. "Maybe someday I'll convince her to wash out this dye you put in her hair."

Aloe looked up and Uo, who was more doing this more for the enjoyment of Kyo's reaction than helping Aloe with a problem that doesn't physically exist. "My hair isn't dyed!" Aloe exclaimed angrily.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Kyo cried angrily, his hands fists now.

Yuki sighed, and looked at Hana and Tohru. "Have they been fighting over hair all morning?"

"Actually I just found them." She said, sighing. She leaned in closer to whisper. "I've been trying to convince them she's our age, but they know Kyo and her are at least a year apart." Tohru looked at Yuki. "How far apart are they?"

He smiled. "One year and ten months, actually." He didn't have to whisper to keep his voice down.

Uo and Kyo were still fighting, Aloe somehow being the reason for them arguing.

"Guys, wait, stop it! My hair's natural, alright? It's okay! Look, Uo, I'll wash out my hair if you don't believe me!" Aloe said, looking back and forth to figure out how to get them to stop.

"Yes!" Uo said, holding her hand in the air. "Tohru, we're coming home with you to watch the dye come out of her hair."

Tohru stood there, shocked at how she had missed every bit of the conversation. "You're what?"

* * *

**-After School- **

"I told you!" Aloe said, drying off her sopping wet red hair. "It's natural."

Uo frowned, looking at her hair and the roots of her hair. "I dunno, it could have been a permanent dye!" She dried Aloe's hair some more, looking all through every strand of hair, until she stopped and looked depressed. "I guess... her hair is.. _natural._"

"Told you." Kyo said, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

She smiled meanly. "But that doesn't mean yours is!" She stumbled into Aloe trying to run after Kyo, falling on top of Aloe. And with a puff of smoke, nothing but Aloe's clothes laid on the floor.

"Uh-oh.." Shigure said, biting his lip and grabbing the clothes before anyone could see.

Uo frowned and got up, looking around. "Hey, where'd Aloe go?"

"Er," Tohru said. "I think she went to dry her hair."

"Or put in more dye," Uo muttered angrily. "Oh well, at least we have Kyokyo!" She said with a bitter-sweet voice.

He growled. "Stop calling me that!"

Tohru took Aloe's clothes upstairs to her room, and saw a red tinted mouse crawl out of the shirt. The mouse gasped, staring up at Tohru.

"Tohru, it's not what it looks like!" Aloe shouted as a tiny mouse.

She smiled. "It's okay, Aloe. Kyo told me."

Aloe frowned, and sat down. She sighed, letting her small mouse paw hold up her head. "Why do _I _have to be so sensitive? I mean, it's not like anyone else turns into an animal when they get hugged by a guy or a girl." She got up, and sat down nearer to Tohru. "Now all I need is to turn into a dog and I will have been every animal in this house."

Tohru cocked her head. "How many animals can you turn into?"

"Are we counting the ones that aren't part of the official zodiac?" Aloe asked, looking up with her big, copper eyes.

"You can turn into more than the zodiac?" Tohru asked, suddenly pretty excited to be hearing about all of this.

Aloe shrugged sort of. "Kyo does, doesn't he? He's a cat, which isn't exactly a member of the zodiac." She looked away. "I can turn into all the zodiac members and the cat. It all comes at random."

Shigure opened the door, checking on Aloe. "Is everyone alright in-"

A huge puff of red smoke went off, and Aloe scrambled to pull on her clothes before anyone saw her.

* * *

**Okay, sorry it's delayed, but I got it here! Review, Subscribe, and obviously, READ! :D**

**Thanks! Remember you can always message me if you want to ask a question or suggest something for the story! I always love to here a reader's ideas for stories. **

**:) Stay healthy, and if you're not, then be healthy! ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! I've skipped a month or so in the story so you aren't getting bored with simple old things. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy this chapter, and the whole story! :) Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter.**

**Oh yea, I started this chapter out differently: I began with a little scene with Akito! Just to shake things up! Tell me your opinion! :)**

**Thanks!**

* * *

**-Five Weeks Later-**

Akito glared at Hatori, who sat in front of him. "Has she been causing trouble still?"

Hatori thought for a moment. There had been a couple times when Aloe had almost blown her cover and she had broken one of Shigure's doors, but that could be fixed simply and had been. _Not like that happened before, _Shigure thought to himself. "Not as much as she was when she was here."

"But that means she's still making trouble?" Akito felt a sense of accomplishment. For some reason, he wanted his sister to be there. Not for the sake of having a sister. No, it was for the joy of her not having joy. He wished he could bring her back just to see the disappointment on her face. But she was too much trouble. She would burn down the house, and perhaps even put him in danger.

"Just once." Hatori said. He wished he could say no, but he couldn't lie to Akito, no matter how noble it would have been. "She nearly fell off the roof of her school. Thankfully, due to the stress of it all, while she was in the air she turned into a chicken, and flew back up." Before Akito could ask, Hatori continued. "Nobody but Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru saw; and of course Yuki told Shigure, who told me."

Akito fumed to himself, wishing to have a reason to remove her happiness. "Fine. Has she talked about returning to the main house?" He wondered if she even liked it there in that house, where there was so much difference from the Sohma Main House.

"No," Hatori said, looking away. "But she has wondered how you've been holding up."

Hatori looked back and saw Akito was standing over him.

"What did you tell her?" Akito asked, his eyes mean and angry. Normal members of the Sohma house would have been frightened. Kisa and Momiji and many others would have cried on the spot. But Hatori- no, he had felt Akito's fury. Of course he didn't like it, but he wasn't afraid of it.

Hatori continued staring at him, no fear to be found. "I told her you were well."

"Good," Akito said, sitting back down on his seat. "You may go Hatori, but if there is another incident caused by.. _her_, I want you to bring her back here."

Hatori nodded, and left. He walked down to where Momiji waited for him, and began hopping up and down.

"Ha'ri!" Momiji called, running toward him. "Can I go see Tohru and Aloe?"

"I can't take you today." Hatori said, actually a bit disappointed to see them both. "But I'll bet Haru could get you there." He looked across the walkway, where Haru had walked out of a building. "Why don't you go ask him?"

Momiji sighed, and nodded. He skipped over to Haru, who looked down at him. They both said something that Hatori couldn't understand from the distance. Haru shrugged, and began his way with Momiji to Tohru, Aloe, Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo's house.

* * *

"Momiji, it's so good to see you!" Tohru said, walking in the two. "And it's nice to see you too, Haru!"

Aloe, who was sitting in the other room, heard the sound of Momiji, and sprinted into the room. She hugged him tight, and he hugged her too. She finally let go of him after a while, and then settled to hug Haru, who remained motionless and expressionless like a rock. Or more to his figure, a stick.

"Hi guys! How have you been?" She asked, smiling brightly.

Momiji knew her well enough that if seeing him and Haru made her sparkle like she was, she was having a bad day. These were the days where you eat an ice cream and let her get out her fumes, and if you made her mad then you could guarantee a hospital visit.

She was really bright and happy acting because she didn't want you to know she was having a bad day. She's one of those people who wouldn't tell someone if her stomach hurt really bad because she didn't want to kill their joy.

"I've been great!" Momiji said, trying to sparkle like she did, but he just didn't understand how she brightened like she did.

"I've been good." Haru sounded a bit monotone.

Yuki and Kyo got down in time to see them, and Kyo tried to escape back upstairs.

"Kyo!" Momiji called happily, only for Kyo to pound him on top of the head. "Oow! Tohru, Kyo hit me-ee!" He whined, crying on the floor where he had been hit.

Aloe glared up at Kyo, who had a little less than a foot on her. "Stop. Doing. That." She said, her teeth gritted.

Kyo, as it happens, was also having a bad day. And when you have two Sohmas from the same father who are beginning a fight and are both having a bad day, the worst thing for you is to try to stop it.

Kyo hit Momiji's head again, making him whine even more. "Make. Me." His teeth also gritted.

"Don't think I won't." Aloe said, her eyes getting angrier and her taking a step forwards.

Kyo took another step, then Aloe, then Kyo, until their eyes were about six inches away.

"Guys, really, we shouldn't fight inside the house! I just patched up the door, and if we fight then it'd get both of you in trouble, and then, then, then..." Tohru broke off.

Kyo made the first move, swinging at her head. She caught his hand and flipped him over, then continued beating him down. He shouted, and she continued throwing him around. Yuki and Haru seemed to be enjoying the show, but Tohru seemed nervous.

Aloe swung him around, then let him crash through the wall and outside onto the patio. She jumped through the tear he had made, and made her way to where he was attempting to recover. She lifted him up by the collar on his shirt, wound up a nice punch, and landed it right on his nose, landing him ten feet away from the patio. She was going to continue, but Haru put his hand on her shoulder.

At first, she reacted violently, grabbing his hand and flipping him over, then apologized and realized what she had done. Momiji was laughing loudly, Tohru was running to Kyo with a box of bandages and things, and Yuki was laughing quietly beside Momiji.

* * *

"I see," Shigure said, looking at Tohru who had explained everything that had happened. Everyone was gathered around the table, including Kyo who was holding a tissue to his bleeding nose and an icepack to his swollen head. He was bruised worse than when he fought Yuki, which was amusing to everyone except Kyo.

Shigure sighed, then looked at Aloe. "You realize I'm going to have to tell Hatori, who's going to have to tell Akito, right?"

Aloe's happy eyes went cold, and she stumbled backwards. "W-what?"

"Hatori would want to know, and you know it." Shigure sighed. "I'll go call him to tell him. Maybe he can come over for dinner and fix Kyo."

* * *

"Well, it seems your younger sister has beaten you pretty badly, now hasn't she?" Hatori said, making Kyo want to punch _him _in the face.

Aloe looked regretful. "I'm sorry Kyo, I shouldn't have lost it."

He cast her a spiteful glance, showing her that he wasn't very happy with her, even with her apology. He looked like a piece of work. His left cheek swollen like he had something in his mouth, a prominent bump on his head that had turned a nasty purple-green, and his nose was still bleeding and crooked a bit.

Kyo hadn't been talking since he claimed he didn't want to, but most of them thought it must have been the pain in his cheek.

"Is his nose broken?" Tohru asked worriedly, crossing her fingers that it wasn't.

Hatori examined his nose and poked it, causing Kyo to shout and rub his nose tenderly. "No, I doubt it. He's just bruised it."

"Wha'dyou mean, '_he_ bruised it'? I didn't bruise anything!" Kyo growled, wiping his nose again.

Aloe stared at the ground sadly, obviously wishing she hadn't begun a fight in the first place. "I said I'm sorry."

"Here," Hatori slammed a fresh, freezing cold ice pack onto Kyo's head, making him cry out again. "Keep this on your head and it'll make the swelling go down." Kyo eyed him sourly and held the new icepack to his tender head.

Hatori turned to Shigure, "Can I have a word with you in the other room, _privately_?" He added as Momiji and Aloe wandered over to listen in. Their faces fell and they backed away, going upstairs.

Shigure and Hatori went into Shigure's office, and Aloe's face brightened. "Come on, Momiji, my room is right above Shigure's office!"

They sprinted to her room, and she moved on of her floorboards over just enough for them to listen through the drywall.

"Ha'ri, what's this about?" A voice that belonged to Shigure asked.

A long sigh filled the room, followed by Hatori's voice. "Akito heard me answer the phone, and asked me to tell him what had happened." A long silence followed, and Hatori broke it. "He wants me to bring Kyo back."

"Kyo?" Momiji, Aloe, and Shigure all cried aloud. Thankfully, neither Shigure or Hatori heard the two upstairs.

"Why Kyo?" Shigure's voice asked.

There were footsteps, and then the sound of someone sitting down. "Akito claims that Kyo is the reason this happened, and he wants to lock him up in the cat room." Hatori laughed dryly. "I think he wants Aloe to suffer for this, and is punishing Kyo in the process."

"Sounds like Akito," Shigure said, almost angrily in a determined sort of way. "So why are you telling me?"

"You know that Akito and Aloe are brother and sister, and that they both suffer from a weak immune system. I'm afraid if I tell Aloe, she may get sick. Or worse, go after him to free him, and she could get sick that way too." Hatori spoke with a sorrow in his voice. "I need you to keep her away from this knowledge. Tell her he's training at a dojo or something, just keep her safe."

Shigure sighed, "But-"

"Shigure.." Hatori sounded as though it pained him to say what he was. "I know that Akito knows Aloe will go after Kyo to save him, at any means necessary. I think he wants her to come back, so he can keep her from Tohru, and Yuki, and you. From everyone who has ever loved her."

Nothing was said for a minute, until Shigure spoke. "Doesn't Akito have a shred of remorse, even for his younger sister?"

"I think he might, but he must be denying it. Even if he does, though, it is too small to fight the part of him that doesn't have any remorse for her." Hatori said.

Nobody spoke after that. Eventually, Hatori told Shigure he had to leave the room, and Aloe put the floorboard back in place. She stared off at the wall in horror, thinking about what she had heard. She couldn't live with herself knowing Kyo was going to be locked up in that stupid cat's room. It sounded terrible, with no reason to live. If it were her in his position, she would have killed herself long ago.

"Aloe?" She looked at Momiji, forgetting that he was there for a long while. "You won't really get sick, will you?" His eyes looked truly worried for her.

"No." She said turning her head back away. Thoughts flooded her mind, and like lightning, she pinned him to the ground, staring into his eyes. "You have to _promise _me you won't tell _anyone _I heard that." Her eyes looked fierce in a way, scary almost. Something of Akito she had been given. _Something I hate in myself, _She thought angrily.

"I p-promise." Momiji said, scared of her vigor in the matter. She got off him and sat with her face in her hands, planning the escape plan for Kyo's freedom. Even if it meant her life.

* * *

**-The Next Day-**

Aloe yawned, walking into the kitchen. It was Saturday, and she was ready to plan everything and execute her plans. She saw Tohru, already preparing a nice breakfast.

"Morning!" Tohru said brightly.

Aloe rubbed her eyes, still exhausted.

"Feeling a bit like Yuki this morning?" Tohru asked, smiling to herself.

Aloe giggled. "Maybe,"

Yuki entered the room, still in his pajamas. "What about Yuki this morning?" He was also rubbing his eyes sleepily. Tohru and Aloe giggled again.

Shigure walked in too, wearing his kimono that seemed to be his everyday clothes and pajamas. "Good morning everyone! How are you doing?"

Aloe ignored his question. "Where's Kyo?" She knew the answer. She just wished it weren't true."

Shigure stumbled for a moment. "He, er, left to train in another dojo to, er, get better at his fighting."

Aloe knew he was gone, and now, she knew when she was going to execute her plan: tonight.

* * *

**Dun-dun-dun! Okay, I dunno about you, but I'm looking forward to this. I'm going to make the next chapter kind of emotional and mushy, so watch out for all the happiness. :3**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and keep reading! Review or I will tell Akito on you! ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Haha okay, if Akito doesn't work, then I will send out Kagura. How about that? Now you better Review the story ;)**

**Thanks for reading, tell me your opinion! :D**

* * *

"Hey Tohru?" Aloe called, her backpack stuffed with all her things she would need to save Kyo. "May I go to the library?"

Tohru looked up from the book Aloe had offered to her to read. It was a science based book, more physics than a story. Tohru had learned over the short time that Aloe wasn't one for gooshy romance, but more for science-fiction or fiction. Aloe had even told her when she offered her the book that she disliked books with Romance because it was too far-fetched.

But then, Tohru could understand that Aloe- Akito's sister-probably didn't feel loved; and could hardly believe the truth of love.

Tohru marked her page and walked towards her. "Do you need me to show you the way?"

"No," Aloe said, stepping back. "I know the way."

Tohru nodded and smiled. "Okay then. Make sure you get back before dark, or else Shigure will have to tell Hatori, and none of us want that!" She giggled.

Aloe gave a small fake giggle. "Alright, I'll see you soon." She walked out the door, shut it, and took off running. _I know where I'm going._ She thought. _I'm going to save Kyo from Akito. I can't let him be stuck in that place forever. I have to stop Akito._

She made her way through the forest, and walked the rest of the way to the Sohma residence, catching her breath. She wasn't used to walking places anymore. She walked to school, but that was simple. Only a half a mile, at least. The Sohma house was about three miles, but it still felt like forever.

She found herself at the gate before long. She climbed up a thin tree, tossed over her bag which landed with a thud, and hopped over the fence. She winced as she hit the ground, and continued. She looked up at the sky. It was already sunset, and she had yet to free Kyo.

She sprinted as fast as physically possible to where the cat's room was. _Cat's prison is more like it, _She thought. _Let's just hope I can free him. _

Aloe found herself standing before the room, and through thin bars, she saw Kyo, lying on the floor, looking depressed. She smiled. "Kyo!" She said in a whisper.

He lifted his head, then lowered it. "You're not real."

"But, Kyo, it's me, Aloe! I'm here to free you!" She said a bit louder, opening her bag and looking over her shoulders for other people. She found a crowbar, a saw, and a small shoelace that she had packed. _Why'd I bring a shoelace? _

Kyo looked around at her, and she held up the crowbar. She placed it in the crevice between the door and the wall, and forced it forward. She pushed and pushed, trying to open the door. She moaned, and took the saw. She tried cutting through the door, but the saw was a pretty useless tool.

She went back to the crowbar, using all her strength. But even being as strong as she was, it wouldn't budge. _Please, move door! _She pushed, digging her feet into the ground and forcing it forward, until she got it a half an inch away from where it was.

She smiled and continued pushing until she could fit her hands in, and she pulled it out of the lock. It burst open, making a loud sound as she did. Kyo smiled in disbelief, and ran to her. He hugged her, then let go.

"Let's go, sis!" He said, beginning to run. He stopped and turned around, but she wasn't moving. She saw in a window a long ways from where she stood, a skinny boy with long black hair that fell in his face. He was sneering at her.

"No. I have something I have to do." She said bitterly, staring off at the boy she knew as Akito, her older brother.

Kyo grabbed her hand, and she cocked her head at him. Her jaw was set, and her eyes were dark like Akito's. Kyo let go immediately, seeing the Akito in her. He knew she wasn't going to visit Momiji or Haru.

"Then I'm coming." He said, stepping forward.

"No." She said strictly. "I won't let you be locked up. Go to Shigure's. Tell them I'm visiting a friend. Tell them my sweet big brother invited me over for a little spar." She said in such a dry tone, Kyo was scared for a moment, though he didn't show it.

Kyo gave her another hug. "Fine, but I want you to run if he tries to attack you. He's done it before, trust me. Don't let him hurt you, or I won't be able to live with myself."

Aloe's eyes sparkled with tears that were from both happiness and fear; then she blinked them away. "I will. Don't worry. But I have to stop this Kyo, at any means necessary. And if it involves him getting angry at me, then I'll do it."

He was about to argue, but she hugged him a final time and shoved him in the direction of the door. She ran down the path to Akito's room, and entered the house, then his room, where he sat casually.

"Aloe, you're back?" He said coolly, pretending he hadn't seen her.

"You have to stop this, now." She said forcefully.

He frowned. "I _have _to? I don't _have _to do anything." He stood up. "I'm your older brother, and you should respect me."

A moment of silence passed, until-

"Hard to respect something that doesn't deserve it.." She countered with a sparkle of rebellion. "Stop hurting everyone, Akito."

Akito glared now, his face contorted in rage. He stood still, trying to decide what to do. "I wish you could just follow me. Why don't you just follow me?"

She ignored him, and he smiled cruelly.

"I see our last chat has gotten you angry? No worries, big brother can make it better. How about you go to the room, and we can talk it out?" He sneered some more.

"How about you go in there, and I'll act like the 'older brother'?" She said angrily.

Akito's sneer was wiped off his face.

"When the curse breaks, because it will, no one will be with you. In fact, they will be ready to take their revenge." She glared back, using her own anger to battle him.

"I forbid you to talk anymore!" He shouted, grabbing the nearest object and lobbing it at her head.

She, with all her fighting skill, dodged it easily, "Tsk, tsk," Aloe said scornfully. "I don't think I'll follow your commands anymore, Akito, even if you are who you are." She stepped, backing toward the door.

"You will _always _follow me!" He shouted, her words driving into him harshly.

She felt a stab of remorse at how cruel she was being, but she replayed all the mental and physical abuse she had felt, and she fell into an angry state again. "In fact, I think the others should stop following you. I mean, imagine how happy and free they'd be _without you._"

He grabbed another object and tossed it at her. He found a vase and threw it at her head like he had with Hatori, but this time, his opponent was slick and expecting just as much. She caught it in her hands and threw it back at him, giving him a single second to dodge it. Thankfully for Akito, she purposely missed.

He sat on the floor, staring up at her. She picked up the other object he had thrown- a small picture frame with her and him sitting beside one another. He stared up at her, a shred of fear in his eyes. "I don't need you Akito." She dropped the picture on the ground, breaking the frame. "And I'm sorry you're so pathetic you have to hurt others so that you feel accomplished."

She turned around and walked out, expecting him to stay where he was. But her words were worse than ever. He felt a surge of adrenaline and rage, and stood up. He chased after her, and she started running towards the gate. He was gaining on her, when he realized where he was. He was in the open. He was running. It felt good, until he remembered what he was doing.

He ran at her, but he became tired quickly since he was so frail and had almost never left his room.

She climbed up a tree, the onto the top of the gate. She turned and looked at him, and saw he was close on her tail, and she jumped off. She ran, not looking forward but instead looking at Akito, who trying to open the gate.

She smiled, watching him, when she realized she was in the middle of the street, and the moment she looked, a loud car was honking at her, and hit her.

* * *

**Whoa. I just scared myself. Any reactions? I wanna hear them! I haven't seen/read any Fruits Baskets lately, so give me a break of the characters attitudes. I am sure they probably aren't spot on, so please accept that I'm not perfect, and I know I messed up their ages.**

**Anyways, review or I'll send Kagura after you! (Notice I didn't say Akito this time, Akito Sohma 101 ;))**

**Be good until I can upload the next chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reading and all the reviews! :) I was trying to make this only three chapters long, but obviously I'll have to make it much longer! Lol, maybe I can get a ten chapters? Opinions on a longer fanfic?**

**Please keep the reviews coming, and enjoy!**

* * *

Akito screamed. _I've wished she were dead sometimes, _Akito thought, _I've wished for her to be hit by a car, but I never thought it would happen! Not Aloe! _He did the only thing he could do at this moment: he threw himself to the ground, screaming and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Hatori, being a very light sleeper, ran at his top speed. That wasn't Akito's normal tanrtum; it was somewhere further away, not in his room. It wasn't about something stupid like someone 'betraying' him. No, no, this was something much worse.

Hatori assumed the worst and ran to where the sound was coming from. He saw the body of Akito, limbs flying everywhere like a child bugging their father for a toy at the supermarket.

Akito screamed some more, then saw Hatori. Hatori pulled him up, "Akito. Akito! What's wrong?"

Akito's eyes flickered toward the street, and Akito stumbled for words. "She's dead!"

Hatori laid him down carefully, making him scream some more, and opened the gate as fast as physically possible. He ran out, and to his horror, Aloe laid on the ground, looking helpless.

"ALOE!" He cried, running toward her.

* * *

**-The Next Morning, 5:30 am-**

Hatori was in the waiting room, tired from lack of sleep and angry from the idiocy of the doctors. They sounded as though Shigure was their college professor. "She looks bad" and "I think she must have been hit by a car" were very popular words for the doctors.

Both Hatori and Akito had told them multiple times that she _had _been hit by a car, but the idiots kept forgetting. It made Hatori want to break in there and do the job himself.

Akito was in his own hospital room. He got himself sick, to Hatori's dismay, screaming so much. He was in the room a floor up, since he didn't need to be in the ER. Hatori still wanted to know the full story of what had happened, but Akito only screamed whenever Hatori began speaking about it.

"We're here!" Tohru said, running toward Hatori. Following her was Yuki, still rubbing his eyes sleepily, but Kyo was looking fearful at the floor. He knew something had happened. He knew he could have prevented it. But he had to keep a brave face.

"What happened?" Tohru asked. Kyo sat down and Yuki just about collapsed out of exhaustion into the chair beside Kyo, leaning onto his shoulder. Kyo turned white and was about to scream when Yuki leaned frowards, rubbing his eyes and still attempting to wake up.

"Aloe came to the Sohma Main House. None of us know why," Hatori's eyes flickered onto Kyo, making him turn bit red. "But she and Akito were fighting, and she ran into the street without thinking about what could happen, and a car came." He stared at Kyo, making Kyo want to disappear. "She got hit."

Tohru held her hand over her mouth, shocked. "Is she alright?"

"I think so, but the doctors that work here seem to be idiots." Hatori got up. "I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to speak to someone about Aloe to figure out more."

Kyo sat there, completely silent. _It's my fault. I could have brought her with me. But I let her go. I could have followed after her. But I didn't. I left. It's all my fault.. _

"Kyo, are you alright?" Tohru asked, sitting beside him. He looked up at her, and she saw then pain in his eyes. "She'll be alright. I know it.." Tohru wondered what she could say to make him feel better. "She's tough, Kyo. She can handle this."

Yuki finally seemed to be awake enough to talk. "Yes, Miss Honda is right. Aloe will be fine."

Kyo looked at Yuki, and for once in his life, he didn't hate him. He looked at the ground again, and continued staring at the hospital floor.

* * *

**-A total of four hours later-**

Hatori returned to Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki. He was now wearing a long white coat that was long enough to reach his knees.

"Hatori, are you-"

"Yes, I'm wearing a doctor's uniform. I did some work and now I'm Aloe's doctor." He said. "That many doctors in one room all around Aloe could mean that many more people to transform her." He looked to his right and saw Shigure sitting beside Tohru.

Shigure didn't have his usual smile or happiness. He seemed dull and lifeless, but then again, everyone looked dull and lifeless, especially Kyo.

Yuki spoke quietly, "When can we see Aloe?"

"Well," Hatori said almost blankly. "That depends, do you want to see her awake or asleep?" They all looked scared at the question Hatori had just asked.

"W-why?" Tohru asked.

Hatori stared at Tohru, then looked at Kyo. "She's still asleep. She's been under a sleeping medicine. I can take you all now if you would like to see how she is."

Tohru hesitated, but got up to go see Aloe. Kyo got up too, but instead of going toward Hatori he took off running down the hall, making Tohru want to go after him. She looked at Hatori, then Kyo, then Hatori, and decided she would go get Kyo later on.

Yuki and Shigure followed, and Hatori led the way. They passed nurses, doctors, patients, and doors until they stopped behind one door that had the name "A. Sohma" written on a piece of paper and stuck to the door.

Hatori opened the door and the other followed him in.

Aloe was laying in a bed, perfectly intact. Her right leg was wrapped up and her head was wrapped up as well, but nothing too bad. Her face looked just as it had when she left, but this time, she was asleep.

"So what's the damage?" Shigure asked, almost relieved to see that she was alright.

"Her leg isn't broken, just a small fracture that should heal fairly soon. She has a concussion since she landed backwards on her head. She has a few cuts and bruises, but obviously nothing too bad." Hatori said intelligently.

Tohru, with a bit of a chill, remembered when she saw her mother laying in a bed like Aloe's, and felt another cold chill when she realized this was the exact room her mother was in when she had been in the accident. She bowed her head to Hatori. "Thank you. I'll go see if I can find Kyo to tell him that Aloe's alright."

She turned and found her way slowly to the hall Kyo had run down, and found a door to the stairwell. She immediately knew where he was, and began climbing stairs up to the roof.

"Kyo?" She called out on the roof, and found him sitting there, looking out at the city. He turned his head and opened his eyes wide with shock.

"How'd you find me?"

She smiled. "Well I just thought-"

"Nevermind." He said getting up. He started to walk to the door, but Tohru stopped him.

"Wait! Kyo," She said, stepping between him and his path. "Aloe is alright. I've just seen her, and she looks fine." His eyes flashed, and he turned his head, trying to avoid her eyes. "She's only fractured her leg and gotten a concussion. She looks fine, and Hatori says she'll be awake soon!"

He walked back towards the edge of the building, and continued staring at the cars passing by. He wondered if the cars were on their way to the hospital, because perhaps their younger sister had been hit by a car. Perhaps it had been their younger sister's older half-brother who chased them into the street. But the car passed the hospital's entrance and continued driving, ending all his questions with a no.

He watched another car, asking himself similar questions, like do they have a younger sister who was involved in an accident? But they passed the entrance too.

He saw another car, but this time, they pulled into the parking lot and they all got out. But, to his sorrow, a blond head popped out of the car, followed by a white and black head, and two brown-orange heads. He sighed. "Momiji, Hatsuharu, Kisa, and Hiro are here.." He mumbled grudgingly to Tohru, who couldn't help but giggle.

"Tohru," Kyo looked into her eyes and she nodded, much more serious now. "It's my fault that she's in there." Tohru frowned.

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean I could have taken her home with me. That night she got hit, she freed me from the cat's room, since Akito broke his promise and put me in there when I had gotten beat up. She freed me, then told me she had to do something." His eyes were full of regret. "But I could have told her to come with me, or I could have followed her!" He balled his hands into fists.

Tohru sat beside him. "Kyo, it's not your fault." She looked into his eyes. "You know I'm the one who lether leave the house. If I had told her to stay home, then she wouldn't have gone. But then, if she hadn't gone then you'd still be in the cat room." She said. "So something good came of my mistake. And you know what? I'll bet something good will come of your's too."

Somehow, these words were perfect for Kyo at the moment, especially when he watched the annoying Momiji walking into the hospital, only minutes away from bugging him.

* * *

**I know, I know, it's pretty short, but I have a ton to do this week, so I hope that I can make everything perfect. I know most of the characters aren't spot on, so please forgive me. **

**Anyways, I hope you like it and please review! More to come!**

**Thanks! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Super sorry this is so late, I've just been REALLY busy.**

**To answer the question; NO. Aloe is not a rash cream. I think you're confused with Aloa Vera, which is a sunburn medicine. **

**Okay, well, here it goes:)**

* * *

Aloe opened her eyes, and saw that her vision had been blurred. She blinked a few times, and her eyes focused. She saw a man with long black hair that covered one side of his face, another man who looked drunk with a brown kimono, a couple of children, a few teenagers, and a strangely familiar red-headed boy.

"Aloe!" A boy with blond hair shouted, sprinting over to her side and giving her a gentle but affectionate hug. "Are you okay?"

She stared at him, not sure what to say. A boy she didn't even know had come right up to her and hugged her. What was that about? She looked around the room, and all the people came running to the bed, squeezing past the others to listen to her speak.

"Yea Aloe, how are you-"

"How are you feeling?"

"What-"

"Can-"

"Did you-"

"Can you feel-"

"Aloe?"

She scooted herself backwards away from all these strange people who knew her name. To her surprise and anguish, her right leg burned horribly. It reminded her of the time she walked on a broken ankle.. but wait, when and how had she broken her ankle?

The boy with the orange hair jumped back. "She.." He stared into her unknowing eyes. "She doesn't remember us.." He stumbled backwards and fell on the ground, only for him to jump back up.

Everyone's smiles faded as they stared to Aloe, hoping and praying that she remembered who they were.

"Aloe," The man in the doctor's coat said in a bold and strong voice. "Do you remember who we are?"

She looked around, forcing herself to read through all her memories, but when she did so, she saw a bright light of a car, and then she was sprawled out in agony on the street. Someone ran over and picked her up, but it was too dark and by the time she saw the person in light she had passed out.

Aloe opened her eyes again, a look of pain and fear in them. She shook her head slowly.

Everyone fell back into their chairs, their eyes as dull as ever. _She's forgotten us, _they all thought. _She doesn't remember who we are or what we've done._

* * *

**-About twelve hours Later-**

Hatori had asked the nurses about the amnesia and head trauma, since he wasn't exactly specializing in concussions or accidents. They said it would most likely come back to her as the concussion healed, but that could take a month or longer. Sometimes, patients lost their memories forever.

He walked into the hospital room and announced to everyone that she was free to go, but he had business to attend to after he helped them get her settled in. He unhooked her from all the machines, careful not to do something wrong.

"Aloe," He said as he helped her out of the hospital bed and into a new, shiny wheelchair. "Can you remember anything? Anything at all?"

She made the same pained expression, but this time it looked as though she were being hit by the car again. "No. I'm really sorry, but I don't remember.." She looked up hopefully. "So who are you?"

He didn't smile, or look at her. He just helped her into the wheelchair and pushed it out of the door, followed by many Sohmas and Tohru. She repeated the question, and he replied, "I am Hatori Sohma."

Her eyes brightened quickly, and she looked back at him. "You were the one who picked me up!" She looked forwards at the hall. "I remember your bangs, and how they were in your face."

He smiled just a little bit that she could remember a tiny detail like that, but as he too thought of his hair, he realized it was more like half of his face.

"Yea, Ha'ri's hair is always in his face!" Momiji jumped up beside Aloe with a smile. He leaned towards her. "D'you remember me?"

She thought for a moment. "All I can remember is.." she frowned. "A bunny.."

Hatori and Momiji exchanged glances, then looked back to her.

"Aloe, do you think of an animal when you see me?" Hatori asked, frowning.

She frowned, but smiled a bit as though what she were about to say was funny. "Actually, I think of a dragon and a seahorse.." She looked off at the hall, and Hatori began to wonder what that meant.

They all piled into the car- helping Aloe in first, then getting in. Hatori drove the car, pondering his thoughts about her remembering which animals they transformed into.

* * *

**I know, I know, it's really short. I just didn't have a lot of time today (Yes, I wrote this whole chapter in one day) So please forgive me. Review the chapter please!**

**Oh yeah, in case you're wondering, there will be some Akito chat in the next chapter. In fact, it will be centered on him and his feelings. **

**Anyways, I love all you guys for reading (in the non-creepy way) Please Keep Reading and Review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yes, I know, I know! It's late. Of course, I have a reason. wouldn't let me upload the file onto the Doc Manager, but instead crashed the server. Ugh, internet problems irritate me. **

**Anyways, thanks for your patience! :)**

* * *

"Akito," Hatori walked into the hospital room where Akito laid, his antibiotics making him a bit sleepy. "Are you feeling better?"

Akito opened his eyes, and prepared to scream, but Hatori shook his head.

"Don't scream, it will make you feel much, much worse."

Hatori seemed a bit cold. He wanted to know the truth and the answers. Now. "Akito, I need you to tell me what happened between you and Aloe before she was hit. What happened?" Akito only turned his head, a pain and sadness in his eyes. It looked, shockingly, as though he were about to cry. "She's alright, you know."

Akito's eyes brightened, lifelike.

"Yes," Hatori said, glad to have found a reason for Akito to talk. "We just released her. She's going to stay at Shigure's while she recovers..." Akito stared out the window, looking across the town. He felt so far from home. So uncomfortable. So homesick.

"She isn't.. isn't hurt?" He asked looking back with a tenacity to find out.

Hatori shook his head. "I didn't say that."

"Then what happened?" Akito asked, a bit of anger in his voice that Hatori was being so mysterious. "What's the damage?"

Hatori walked over to a seat and sat down in front of Akito. He didn't react at first, just thinking. "She fractured her right leg and obstained a concussion." Akito fell limp for a moment.

"Is it.. a bad concussion?" Akito asked. He frowned. He didn't know much about all of this stuff. He had never really talked about these injury things, even though he had injured people in the past.

"Pretty bad," Hatori said, considering everything. "Bad enough she forgot her memory. All she can remember is after the crash." Akito looked as though he were dead. So much so, Hatori got up to make sure he was still alive.

They just sat there for a moment. Thinking. Listening to the blank silence. Hatori was trying to find out if he should ask Akito what happened, or wait a minute. Akito was trying to figure out if he should explode and blame on her, or if he should just tell Hatori what happened.

But there was a breaking in his heart. All he wanted in his moment was for his heart to stop beatting how it was. For his head to stop getting hotter and hotter. For his mind to stop pounding as though it were about to burst. He cried out, making Hatori look up worriedly.

"S-she confronted m-me at m-my room." He said through sobs. Hatori sat down beside him, realizing for the first time that Akito felt horrible. Akito must be feeling, if possible, remorse. "I.. I g-got angry at her. S-she kept saying stuff that m-made me angry.. and s-she knew it!" He said, throwing his head down and staring down at his blankets. "I d-didn't mean to g-get that angry, b-but I.." He closed his eyes and felt something on his back.

He realized it was Hatori, who was rubbing his back sympathetically. Akito continued, his voice stronger. "I got u-up and chased her to the g-gate. She climbed over it.. then, s-she ran towards the street. B-by the time I saw her there, i-it.." He cried out again, and covered his face with his hands. "It was t-too late!"

Akito saw Hatori there, looking at him. And somehow, he felt compelled to apologize. About everything. He wanted to tell Hatori that he was sorry. He wanted to tell Yuki he was sorry. He still wanted to slap Shigure in the face for what he did, but he still wanted to apologize. He was overwhelmed with an empathy he had never felt before. And now, he would never be able to show Aloe that he was sorry. She would never know.

"Hatori.. I.." He looked at Hatori, and saw a glimpse of the scar over his eye that he had given him. It gave him a chill, and made him want to cry out again, but he didn't. "I'm sorry.. for.. for hurting you." '

Hatori held out his arms, and Akito hugged him. So glad to have a stronghold. He had never felt such remorse, and the acceptance Hatori showed him, after everything that happened, made him want to do something. Something that would make up for everything. And strangely, he didn't feel sick anymore.

* * *

**Yes, I know it's out of character. I haven't been able to watch or read Fruits Baskets in about three months, so they aren't all spot on. I have always loved the idea of a raging Akito, but in the scene, I guess it's more like him to cave in. **

**Anyways, Review! And if I don't upload another chapter soon enough, bug me til I do!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! So glad to be back with my happy computer! :)**

**Anyways, tell me your ideas for what else can happen in the story, since I'm not really sure what else should happen! PM me your ideas, and I will use them! Please no spam. :p**

**Okay, well, here's your story! :)**

* * *

Aloe wheeled around Shigure's house with help from Tohru, who pushed her and told her about each room. She couldn't risk taking her upstairs though, sinceTohru was so scared that the wheelchair would fall backwards and crash into something, injuring Aloe further.

"So, your name is Tohru," Aloe said, trying to remember what she had been told. Tohru stopped the wheelchair to look at Aloe. "You go to school. You are not a Sohma, but a Honda. Your favorite animal is the.. cat? But you're actually born in september, the month of the dog." Aloe asked, hoping that she were right.

"Yup!" Tohru nodded. "Do you remember the Sohma family secret?"

Aloe's eyes got larger. "Do.. d'you know it?"

Tohru nodded.

"If I remember right, some of us turn into the zodiac animals." Aloe said, looking to Tohru to make sure she was right.

Tohru smiled and nodded. "Yup!"

Aloe smiled. "So then, who's in the zodiac?"

"You can remember that people in your family turn into zodiac animals, but you can't remember which people?" Tohru asked.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, don't be sorry! It's alright, we'll just have to teach you who it was." Tohru said, going back to push the wheelchair forward.

Aloe looked back at Tohru slowly. "Was I a member of the zodiac?"

"I.." Tohru didn't know if Hatori wanted her to know or not! She decided to tell her, "I don't think I'm the right person to tell you.."

* * *

"Hello Shigure," Hatori said, obviously not excited to have a phone call from the biggest idiot in Asia.

Shigure smiled, and Hatori knew he was. "Hey Ha'ri! Tohru wanted to know if you'd like to come over for dinner and later on check on Aloe?"

"Sure." Hatori said.

Shigure grinned cheerfully. "Yay! I'll invite Aya!"

Hatori was going to protest, but before he could Shigure hung up on him to call Ayame. Hatori sighed. _I'd better bring Momiji and them with so that they can see her._

* * *

__"Do you want another riceball, Hatori?" Tohru offered. Without Aloe eating everything because of Hatori's strict liquid-only diet until she feels better, Tohru was left with about twelve riceballs.

Hatori looked over her offer, but turned her down. "No thank you."

She nodded, and instead gave it to Shigure, who began to tell everyone how it was a symbol of her love, which made Tohru immediately regret giving him the riceball.

Aloe whined. "Why can't _I_ have a riceball?"

Hatori looked over at her, obviously feeling the slightest bit reluctant to withhold a delicious riceball from her after what she had suffered, but as he had for many years, he held strong. "Because I'm afraid it may make you sick. You may not remember everything about me, but something you will learn to remember is that I am your doctor, and you, like your brother, get sick very easily."

Aloe crossed her arms and continued sitting against the wall, her right leg propped up on pillows. "Fine." She looked up angrily. "What else should I know about you?"

"Well," Hatori said, not breaking eye contact with a startling glare. "You should probably know I'm your uncle, cousin, and one of the only people in this family you can trust."

She frowned and looked away. "I wouldn't get sick." She muttered angrily under her breath. It seemed she was truly like Kyo.

"I'm here!" Called a very prideful and annoying voice. Everyone turned their heads as Ayame, wearing a bright pink and green kimono, entered the room.

* * *

"So do you remember me?" Ayame asked, speaking to Aloe. Shigure sat beside him, while the others continued eating.

Aloe looked at him closely, observing each feature. "No." She said bluntly.

"No?" He cried. "No! She doesn't remember me Shigure!" He said, crying into Shigure's shoulder. He sat right back up happily. "That's alright, I'll just have to teach you."

She smiled and paid all her attention to him.

"My name is Ayame Sohma. I am Yuki's older brother, and you and I were in love."

She choked. "In love?"

"Yes. You were very generous to me, always cooking my favorite meals and complimenting me. We spoke of marriage but then of course we couldn't, since I am a few years older than you."

"Wait, _how many years older than me are you?_" Aloe asked, staring at him, her eyes as big as bowling balls.

Ayame frowned thoughtfully, then looked at Shigure, who was chuckling in the corner, trying not to say anything. "I am 26," She stared, no expression on her face. "I remember that one spring day when we went down to the pond and you and I had a picnic. Old times, old times."

Aloe looked at Shigure, who amazingly had regained his straight face and nodded. "You know, he stole you from me."

"WHAT?" She shouted, staring at them both now.

"Yes, yes.." Ayame said, struggling to suppress a laugh. "You and Shigure were walking across a winter field, I remember quite well. You were wearing a cute little winter hat and Shigure was wearing a horribly tacky suit. I told you that I loved your hat, and you soon became attracted to me. You can't tell me that you don't remember the fight Shigure and I got into over you?"

"_A fight?_" She cried, overwhelmed.

"And I'm here to fight you once more!" Shigure shouted, jumping up. "I want Aloe for myself!"

She tried to say something, but instead spluttered. "G-gu-uys!"

"No, she will forever be mine!" Ayame cried. He leaned down and took Aloe's hand. "Aloe, you love me, yes? You do, don't you?" Before she could respond, he continued. "Marry me Aloe! I know it's what you've always wanted-"

"No, Aloe, don't marry him! Marry me, won't you? Mary me!" Shigure cried, taking her other hand. "Please, I've seen the way you look at me, and you've seen me return the look! Marr-"

_THWAK! THWAK!_

"Kyo, why do you feel the need to hit us instead of using words?" Ayame whined, rubbing his head.

"Now you're goin' too far with this prank!" Kyo shouted. He had knocked both Ayame and Shigure onto the floor, about ten feet away from Aloe.

Hatori appeared around the corner after Kyo wheeled Aloe away. "When will you to grow up?"

"NEVER!" They both shouted, and then they began skipping around, arm in arm.

* * *

**No. I'm not done yet ;) I just had to add the prank part in. It really seemed funny to me, so, anyways, enjoy! And please keep reviewing! Feel free to bug me if I'm not uploading the next chapter fast enough!**

**Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Trying to write fast! I've been trying to do everything perfectly for you guys! I just wanted to say thank you for reading and thank you for all of your support! The reviews literally keep me going, even when I'm not sure if the story is good enough.**

**Thanks for being such great readers, and I hope this chapter is good! :)**

* * *

**-A week later-**

"Tohru," Hatori said over the phone. Shigure hand Tohru the phone, knocking Tohru from her space cadet mode. "I think Aloe can use crutches now, but you'll have to help her around. Oh yeah, and don't give her solid foods yet. I want to wait a good two weeks. And when she starts eating solids, don't let her pig out."

Hatori took back the phone. "Will you be visiting us soon?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'll be there in a few days, and I'll be bringing a special visitor." Hatori said. Shigure knew he was obviously talking about Momiji, as did everyone.

Shigure smiled. "Okay then! I'll see you later on then." He hung up, and everyone went on with what they were doing. Tohru found the crutches that Hatori had brought over from who knows where he got them, and brought them over to Aloe, who's eyes lit up.

"So I can walk again?" She said happily.

"Yup! Hatori says it'll be safe about now, but you still have to be helped around." Tohru said, helping Aloe out of the wheelchair and balancing her, then giving her the crutches.

Surprisingly, Aloe got the hang of it immediately. Tohru watched as Aloe walked around with ease, happy to move again.

"She broke her ankle when she was eight; in fact, I think those are the same crutches." Shigure explained. _That's how she gets it so fast, I bet._

"Hey, Tohru?" Aloe asked, standing beside Tohru.

Tohru looked over. "Yes, Aloe?"

"Can we go upstairs now?"

Tohru looked to Shigure, who smiled, and Tohru helped Aloe to get up the stairs. They walked to Aloe's room, where everything was the exact same as before. Aloe seemed to remember some things, like her school uniform, but not everything.

"What's this?" Aloe asked Tohru, pointing to the photobook Aloe had caught Tohru snooping through.

Tohru smiled. She had been putting in more an more photos from this year, hoping to present the new pictures to Aloe and see her excited face, but since Aloe didn't remember anything that happened, it probably wouldn't be as important to her anymore. Nonetheless, Tohru picked up the photobook and sat down on the bed beside Aloe.

"It's a photobook." Tohru said, opening it.

Aloe saw a picture of Kyo and herself, and her memories began flooding back in. She remembered everything about Kyo, and everything they had done together.

"Kyo!" Aloe shouted, pointing at the picture.

"Yes, that's-"

"No, I mean, I remember him now! I remember when I beat him up a while ago, and when he and I were avoiding leeks, and when we played together as kids!" Aloe said, her eyes twinkling.

Tohru turned the page, and Aloe and Yuki stood beside one another.

Aloe remembered everything about Yuki, and everything that they had talked about. "Yuki's a part of the zodiac, and he's the rat! He's really soft spoken and.. and.. someone kept him in a room to torture him.. But who?" She said, looking to Tohru.

Tohru herself didn't know, so she turned her page. Aloe saw Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, Momiji, Haru, Hiro, Kisa, Ritsu, Kureno, her mother and father, everyone. Except for a single person that Tohru avoided showing Aloe for the sake of protecting her mind.

Tohru showed her the more recent photos of Hana and Uo and other people.

Then, there was a photo Tohru had snuck in and taken when Aloe wasn't looking. Aloe was reading a physics book that Tohru had brought back from the library for her. Aloe's eyes were focused on each small letter. When she read a book, there was no separating her from it. She was so in tune, that you had to literally shake her out of the book.

And with that photo, Aloe remembered everything in her life, except for one character who remained in the shadows. Someone who had hurt her. Someone she knew existed, but she just couldn't put her finger on who they were. Tohru and the others wanted to keep it that way.

* * *

"We should celebrate!" Shigure declared. Yuki and Tohru were cheering quietly, and Kyo and Aloe were hugging. When they got downstairs, Aloe ran (well, as much as a person can run with crutches) straight to Kyo. And it was obvious to everyone else that Kyo was happy to have the real Aloe back.

Aloe moved from Kyo to Yuki, who embraced her carefully. He wasn't very forceful; it was more like he was just putting his arms on her shoulder and smiling while she squeezed the life out of him.

Aloe then moved to Shigure, slapped him on his cheek for his prank, then hugged him.

Then, she made her way to Tohru, who hugged her before Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure could stop them, and Aloe transformed into a bright red monkey. She sighed loudly. "This is getting old. You know that, right?"

Everyone laughed, and Tohru escorted the now monkey Aloe to a bathroom. After a few moments, a puff of smoke went off and slipped through the crevice under the door, and Aloe appeared, still wearing a cast. She wobbled around, not stable. Tohru went to help her walk back over, but Shigure took her place seeing how it would transform her once more.

Kyo gave her the crutches and she sighed with relief. "Thanks guys. I need to remember not to hug anyone outside of the family." She looked up, and frowned.

Hatori had entered the room silently, stalking in like a vampire as usual. But behind him stood a dark person that looked like a shadow. Aloe realized it was the person who filled in the rest of her puzzling memories, but who was this person? The missing piece?

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Why? Because I can. I hope I can fit another chapter in here today. I'm going top speed here, so, ta-da! Have a good day! :)**

**Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't really have any important**** author notes this time. Simply Review, Read, and well, Thanks for reading! :)**

* * *

His eyes were dark grey, but not cold like she expected. She remembered suddenly who this person was, and what he had done to her. She remembered hating him for mistreating her family and loved ones. She hated him for locking up her beloved older brother Kyo, and she hated him for being as cruel as he was. She wanted him to die.

But he didn't look normal. His black hair that usually spiked in a way that looked as though it could pierce you didn't look as scary. His face wasn't angry, or happy, or prideful. In fact, it looked.. sad. Almost filled with remorse.

"What is Akito doing here?" Kyo shouted angrily, stepping in front of Aloe.

Akito turned his face and frowned bitterly, then turned his face back towards them. It wasn't like he wanted them to hurt, but as if he were the one hurting. Feeling the pain of everything he had done. And seeing his younger sister, who inside shared many of his qualities, stare at him with a loathing that couldn't be replaced with love, made him want to break down and weep.

"I brought him here on his own accord." Hatori said. Akito whispered under his breath to Hatori, who nodded. "He says he wants to speak with you all, privately."

Nobody moved.

"Who goes first?" Hatori turned to Akito.

Akito thought for a moment. He wanted to avoid Aloe until the very last, knowing that would probably be the hardest. Instead, Akito looked among them, and chose the one who seemed to hate him the least at the moment. "Tohru."

Kyo and Yuki both flashed their eyes angrily and argued, but Tohru walked outside onto the porch with Akito. Akito sat down, and looked up at Tohru, then back down at the ground. He looked up, then down.

Finally he looked up. "Tohru, I'm sorry." He looked back down. "I know there's nothing that could ever excuse what I've done to you, and I don't expect you to forgive me for all the grief I've caused you, but.." He balled his hands into fists, trying to say what he meant. _Why is this so hard?_

But Tohru's comforting hand found it's way to his fist. Akito's first instinct would be to slap her hand and jerk away angrily, then scream at her about what a disgrace she was and how dare she touch him. But, in this moment, it felt comforting. Why on earth had he ever rejected those that he loved?

He looked up, and in her eyes, he saw that he was forgiven. She smiled at him.

"Akito, it must have taken you a lot to be able to apologize. And, if you're able to go through all that to apologize, then I'm sure you've changed. I forgive you." She said, seeming very bubbly.

Her words almost made Akito's heart melt. He was so happy. He wasn't happy enough to hug her like he had Hatori, but he was happy enough to return a small smile. He struggled with the words, since he hadn't ever really used them, but he seemed to get them out, "Thank You."

She nodded.

Akito looked back at the door. "You, er, can go if you want now. I'll talk to someone else."

"Who d'you want me to get?" Tohru asked, getting up and straightening her skirt.

He thought for a moment, and settled on, "Yuki."

Yuki came out after a moment, staring at Akito. Akito had his eyes settled on the ground, and he began his apology as he had with Tohru. "Yuki,"

* * *

He continued, apologizing to Yuki, and Shigure. Shigure accepted and smiled. _As usual_. Yuki accepted his apology and forgave him, but he didn't comfort him. He wasn't very open, but that's all that AKito could accept. He needed to be nice to him and over time he would gradually earn his trust and full forgiveness.

Kyo sat down about five feet away from Akito, keeping his distance for Akito's sake. He knew that if he sat too close to him, his feelings for what Akito did to Aloe would take over and make him attack Akito.

"I'm sorry." His words shocked Kyo. "I.. I shouldn't have mistreated you as I did. I shouldn't have locked you up in that wretched cat's room. I should never have mistreated your- I mean, our sister." His words were very bitter. At first Kyo thought he was being sarcastic, or maybe Hatori was forcing him to apologize, but his eyes said differently.

They were suffering. It was as though all he could see was the accident; over, and over, and over. He looked at Kyo and realized that he had been watching him, so he turned his head sharply to the other side.

"I know that you won't believe me, but I did love her. Not to the extent you did, but I did love her." Akito looked into Kyo's eyes. "I do love her, I mean." He thought for a moment. Apologizing to Kyo was much harder than apologizing to the other three.

For some reason, Kyo did see a little of it. He saw it in his face, in his eyes. It was a bit like Aloe's eyes when she looked up at Kyo. Except, different colors and a lot less.

"I truly am sorry for.. for what happened because of me." Akito finished.

Kyo struggled to say it, since he thought to the depths of his heart that Akito didn't deserve it, "I forgive you Akito." Akito brightened a shade, and he looked into Kyo's eyes. He saw that somehow, they might be friends. But that, in itself, would take months if not years.

"Could.. could you ask Aloe to come out here?" Akito asked.

For a moment, Kyo flashed a protective look, but the feeling in Akito's eyes wasn't a violent one. He wouldn't do that to Aloe again. Not after apologizing to everyone.

"Alright." Kyo said reluctantly. He watched Akito as he walked back inside the house.

Aloe appeared a moment later, but instead of sitting down by Akito, she stayed standing near the door, as if she were going to have to run back inside.

"Aloe-"

"What's this about, Akito?" She asked angrily, holding the door handle in case she needed to come back inside. "Haven't you done enough already?"

Her words struck him harshly. He glared up at her, but held his tongue. He flashed back his memories, what he had done, and how he had treated her. If he had been in her case, he wouldn't have wanted to do anything with him either. He stopped glaring, and started trying to think of the right words.

"When you were younger," He began, trying to say what he meant the right way. "I thought you couldn't be my sister, since you looked nothing like me, but instead like Kyo. But when I saw what you could do, I started to be prouder and prouder. But, I mistreated you since you continued to resemble Kyo. And I learned that, you aren't Kyo or me, but yourself. And I punished you for that." He sighed.

"I punished you for my insecurities. And.. and I'm.." He looked up at her, and to his surprise, she had moved. Silently too. She did that a lot actually, instantly appearing in the least wanted places. She was sitting beside him, her crutches laying beside her on the ground.

Her eyes stared at him inquisitively, figuring out if what he said was what he meant. _So like Kyo_, Akito thought grudgingly. She looked over him, and he felt as though she examining his soul and heart. Finally, she smiled.

"I'm sorry." Akito said quietly.

She reached out her hand and patted him on the shoulder. "So you've never.. er, actually hated me like you said?"

He stared at her. "Well.. I mean, I do sometimes, but.." She raised one eyebrow. "Yes, I have." He crossed his arms. "But you've hated me too." He said protectively.

"You've given me reason to."

_Fine. _Akito thought. _I'll let her have that one. _

"So do you.." Akito said, not sure how this whole 'apology' thing was supposed to work.

She nodded. "I'll forgive you, _if_-" he sighed. He knew he would live to regret this if. "-you stop mistreating everyone and apologize to _everyone._" She said almost forcefully.

"I will." Akito said. "I promise."

And with that, Akito and Aloe came inside. Nobody really spoke much, since having Akito there was uncomfortable at best for everyone except Hatori, who seemed as though it were normal, since it was for him.

* * *

**No, I'm still not done! But I hope you liked the chapter! Yes, I know that Akito wouldn't ever really say anything like this, but cut me some slack. I can't watch fruits baskets where I am and I haven't seen it in forever, so imagine like you haven't ;)**

**I hope it works out for you, and I can't wait to get out the next chapter! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello world of fanfiction! Okay, I know that none of my characters are spot on. I apologize for that. But everyone has there kinks, right?**

**Anyways, thanks for all the reviews! You guys are awesome! :)**

* * *

**-A Month Later-**

Akito had been doing over all his bad deeds, apologizing, and of course being a lot nicer towards everyone. Of course, he could never make up for all the bad deeds he had done, everyone was feeling better about talking to him and seeing him. Now they all knew that he wasn't going to rip them into shreds like he used to or slap them like crazy, but he was still scary. A trait of his that excelled at it's job.

Aloe's leg healed right up and she was excited to walk once more. Of course, for about a week she still had a limp, but her limp got better and you can't even recognize that she broke it. Her concussion left some damage, like, some of her memories had been forgotten, like the time she went rollerblading for Haru's seventh birthday.

But nonetheless, the Sohma family was doing a lot better, besides the curse. Momiji and Haru were even getting better with hanging out. Well, not really, but it would seem better if they did, wouldn't it?

"Hey, Tohru?" Aloe asked, looking into Tohru's big blue eyes.

"Yes, Aloe?"

"Why were you so forgiving towards Akito? It seemed like it was.. well, easy for you." Aloe asked, turning her head as though she were trying to say it in the right way.

Tohru paused. That was a question she never that Aloe would have asked, but after living with her, she had learned that she did that a lot. She thought about her answer.. _Why had I forgiven Akito so easily? I mean, he was so cruel to both Kyo and Yuki, and Shigure too! But then again, the worst he had done to me was scratch my face and pull on my hair. Then again, he had also insulted me that night in the forest. So then, why had I forgiven him at all? Why did I even forgive anyone, since I've been through a lot and they haven't, and they choose to be mean to me. _

_Because I'm not like them._

_I'm not mean like them. I don't get any feelings beside empathy and remorse when I do something mean like they do. I don't like it when people don't forgive me, so I guess I treat them like I would like to be treated... Maybe it has something to do with Mom? And how she died? No.. it must have been how she raised me that made me like that. _

_But, was it truly easy for me to forgive Akito? No! I mean, forgiving someone like that was hard, but then again, he too had faced hardships, and I doubt that anyone had ever meant their apologies when they gave him them. His father died, and his mother always told him that he didn't matter, so I can imagine being cruel and mean to everyone could have been caused by her._

_Then again, Akito seemed to be able to be mean all on his own. _

_But the reason I forgave him, was probably because I saw that he meant it. His eyes were filled with fear that I'd say no, and his arms were shaking nervously for the same reason. But his voice stayed firm, as though he wanted to keep his pride but still be forgiven. And he came down there, asking to apologize. He could have just let it be and pretend like he never did anything._

_But he didn't. And that's why I forgave him. Because he didn't just tell us to deal with it, but instead he told us he was sorry for making us deal with it for as long as we had. That must be why._

Tohru looked at Aloe for a moment, and thought about how she could summarize what she had just thought. "I guess because he meant his apology, and he didn't have to apologize, but he wanted to, and he did."

Aloe nodded, smiling. "I see why he apologzied to you first. Had it been me, I would've beat him over the head with my crutches." She said holding up a fist threateningly, but in actuality, it was rather pathetic looking. Tohru knew that she wasn't pathetic though, if she could've beaten up Kyo the way she had.

Tohru smiled, thinking about everything that had happened in the last 4 months. It had been interesting, and she couldn't wait to see what was to come in the next four months, if not years.

* * *

**PLEASE READ THIS: Okay, here's where I REALLY need your opinions guys; I wanted to know if I should add in the part where their curses break, or not. If I do, you should probably know I'm going to change it from what it was in the manga to something else since I'm not exactly following the plot-line.. heh heh..**

**Anyways, should I add that part in, or just do the epilogue? And if I do add it in, feel free to tell me how their curses should break and what they should be doing or whatever. Review or PM please! :)**

**Thanks everyone! Please let me know!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the advice! I've decided to include it, and I almost forgot about the pairing between Akito and Tohru! This chapter will probably be really long, so be ready for a lot to read! ;3 **

**Oh yes, if you don't like Akito and Tohru together then feel free to skit the paragraphs where they are speaking, but be warned you will miss a lot of good stuff!  
**

**ALSO** The characters will obviously be bent around to my liking in this chapter, and so will a little bit of the power, so don't get mad if something isn't the same as the manga/anime. It probably seems like a whole new thing.**

**And if I haven't already said it, this chapter may be longer than you're willing to read all at once, so if you must, take a break in the middle, eat some popcorn, obsess about some Akito Sohma (that was directed at you, Akito Sohma 101) **

**So, thanks for reading! Have fun! :)**

* * *

Akito was walking around the estate. He had learned that, since he had gotten out of the hospital and apologized to everyone whom he had hurt, which meant everyone, he had felt a lot less sick. He learned that what made him so ill was everyone else's pain. Since he was who he was in the zodiac, he felt an empathy for his people.

He saw a person down the path. Actually, two! One with spiky, short orange hair with fattish legs and a sweet face and still existent limp, and another with forgiving blue eyes and long beautiful brown hair that looked full enough to braid just a strand.

_Tohru and Aloe,_ Akito thought. He had always thought of something whenever he heard a name. For instance, when he heard the name Hatori, he thought of vases and broken hearts. Whenever he thought of Aloe he thought of shattered glass and bright headlights. Everything he really thought of when he thought of names was dark and horrible.

_Except for her's._

When he thought of Tohru's name. When he thought of her name, he strangely remembered a time when his father was alive, and the two of them were talking. Laughing. Smiling. Akito couldn't really remember why they were laughing and smiling, but he did know that it was a good memory.

But then, why did he think of good things when he thought of Tohru? He had never thought that about anyone else. Akito had felt happy with his dad, but he had never felt like he did around Tohru.

_What am I saying? _Akito thought. _I've only ever thought of Tohru as an annoyance up until now. _

_A beautiful annoyance, _He argued with himself.

He quietly walked on the grass with leaves that barely crunched beneath his light weight. He was even skinnier and less weight than Tohru, who was tiny at best. Then there was Aloe, who was almost double his weight- 160.

Hatori had always argued that it was muscle and that muscle weighed more than fat, but he and Akito both knew that all Aloe did all day was lay around and chat with Momiji and Haru lazily.

She didn't show it though, which was always funny. But then again, she had the spirit of a barn of animals inside of her, which probably weighed her down about 50 pounds more than the average person like her.

Akito sighed. A private detective probably couldn't spend a week with his younger sister and explain to him everything about her. Her quirks. Her likes. Her dislikes. Her pet peeves.

_But then again, Tohru knows. _Akito thought. _I wonder if I could convince her to teach me about Aloe? Then, while I did, I could learn more about Tohru as well. _

He became close enough to hear their conversations without them seeing him. He slipped behind the side of a building which was Aloe's room/suite. "I guess because he meant his apology, and he didn't have to apologize, but he wanted to, and he did." It was Tohru's voice.

_What's this about?_ Akito listened in, the nosy part of him that had gotten him to jump to conclusions and punish people wrongly taking over.

"I see why he apologzied to you first. Had it been me, I would've beat him over the head with my crutches." He peered around the wall and saw it had been Aloe speaking, who was holding up a fist. _Pathetic, _he thought. _But I know better than to think so, since she isn't. But I'll never tell her that. _

Tohru turned and saw Akito's eyes peering at his sister, snickering at the pathetic looking fist. "Oh, hi, Akito!" She exclaimed, waving a bit. "How long have you been over there?"

Her eyes were so bright and happy! How was she so sweet and forgiving? Maybe what she had said a minute ago was her reason. He thought for a moment about what she had said.. _I guess because he meant his apology, and he didn't have to apologize, but he wanted to, and he did. _He wanted to smile, but he knew that if he smiled it would look ridiculous and silly.

"A moment or so," He finally answered, stepping into the open and sitting beside Tohru.

Aloe frowned, then mentally counted numbers, calming herself. She sort of smiled, in a strained sort of way. It was a bit unnerving to know that Akito had been listening in on her conversation, and even more now that he was sitting beside Tohru and looking at her like that. It looked like he were about to eat her. Or worse.

"So what are you doing here?" Aloe sounded more brash than usual to Tohru, but that may have just been her anger with no privacy. Kyo was the same way.

Akito looked to his sister and partially smiled. "I was coming to invite you over for lunch. Of course, Tohru can come along." He said, looking at Tohru as well.

That had been a lie, but neither Aloe or Tohru could tell. Only Akito knew, who had simply left the house for some fresh air that he had never before craved.

"Okay.." Aloe said, a bit suspicious. She looked at Tohru, who was practically beaming, and decided to follow her lead. "We'd be happy to join you."

Tohru sparkled at Akito, then the both of them followed Akito towards a non-existent lunch. Of course, he could change the 'non-existent' part quickly- just ordering one of the members of the family to make something quickly.

"So what are we eating?" Aloe broke the silence of the moment, sounding a bit more cheery with the idea of food.

Akito then smiled at his opportunity to make an excuse. "I didn't know what Tohru liked to eat, so I never had anything prepared. I wasn't sure that you would accept, either." It sounded good. Very well thought out. He could have been a writer.

Tohru blushed. "Oh, you shouldn't have thought about me, I can eat anything, really! Just ask Aloe! She can tell you that I don't mind, right Aloe?"

Aloe looked up at Tohru and laughed. "Actually, Akito, she hates leeks, onions, miso, soba, and rice balls."

"No, I don't hate any of those!" Tohru cried, waving her hands to stop Aloe. "I really like everything!"

"And plums, and strawberries, and lettuce, and-"

"No, I don't!" Tohru said, trying to convince Akito. "I really will eat anything, I bet you could bring out something totally disgusting and I would eat it- NO! I didn't mean that your food was disgusting, I just meant that if it was, which it isn't that, I-"

Aloe pretended to cry out. "She thinks our food is awful! I knew my bad cooking would come back to haunt the entire family!" She wailed, sounding miserable, but obviously not really.

Tohru let her hands cover her bright pink face. "No! I never said that! I bet your food is really yummy and amazing Aloe! I've never tried except for the tea incident-"

Aloe paused from her joke and stared at Tohru. Her lips curled and she allowed herself to fall onto the ground. "Tohru is holding a grudge for me breaking the kettle and ruining her delicious tea!"

"No, Aloe, it's alright! I'm not really!" Tohru said, sitting down beside her.

"Really?" Aloe looked up from her fake tears.

Akito just stared at them. His sister was a _complete idiot, _wasn't she?

They both looked up at Akito, who had crossed his arms and stared down at them, looking very superior. "If you two are done with your.. _ridiculousness.. _I would very much enjoy a meal." He snarled almost. He saw then flash of fear in Tohru's eye again, and his sister was glaring at him. He saw the fear in her eyes too, but she always masked her fear with anger. "Sorry, I didn't really-"

"It's fine." Aloe said quickly, pulling up Tohru and sticking her nose in the air. She walked quickly, forcing Tohru to move faster, then Akito in turn.

* * *

"Tohru?" Akito said, his heart beating quickly in his chest. He had made a great reason to see her again, even if it was for something he thought might not even actually work.

"Hmm?" She said, opening her eyes and looking back at the empty take-out boxes Hatori had fetched for Akito. Aloe had trudged off to her room grudgingly- orders of Hatori. Apparently he wanted her rested up for something that remained a secret to everyone except Hatori and Akito.

Akito paused, trying to think of a good way to say it. "I wondered if you would teach me about Aloe." Her eyes looked empty, not understanding what he meant. "I want to be able to get along with her better, you know what I mean? I want to learn what I can do so that she will.." He paused for words. "Accept me, if you will."

Tohru smiled at him brightly. "Wow, Akito! That's very mature of you to try to gain Aloe's acceptance! But, I'm not sure what you'd like me to teach you. I don't know how Aloe really accepted me, since I'm always spaced out." She giggled to herself.

Instead of think what he normally would think of this information- _useless_- he found it.. somehow.. cute. The way she giggled at the end of her sentence, it made the ends of his lips curl. Nevertheless, he needed information. He wanted the information, but he also wanted to spend time with her. It was hard to describe her. It was like how Hatori had once described Kana: like spring, to melt away his own ice inside.

"But, you both speak to each other, differently," Akito argued, longing to hear her voice again. "Why is it that she acts like she does around you? Do you two do things together?"

Tohru thought a moment. "I guess I speak to her, well, like a sister would. I treat all the Sohma's like brothers and sisters," She blushed, "Except for a few.." Akito found himself getting hot inside. What was this feeling? "I don't really know why she acts like she does around me. I mean, one reason could be that I always forgive her, no matter what type of mistake she makes. I guess I'm just that way around all of the Sohma family.." She giggled once more. "I also try to make her have fun. I've suffered, so I know what to do for someone since it's what I wanted people to do for me. Sometimes people did it, but sometimes others didn't."

"But if you want her to accept you, since you are both siblings, I bet that what you want her to do to accept you is what she wants you to do to accept her. Imagine if she did everything you want her to-"

Akito thought for a moment, losing himself in a daydream. _She is sitting beside me, smiling. We're both eating something.. what is that? An ice-cream? I guess so, seeing how it's melting. And, wait, she's hugging me!_

_Aloe had her hair tamed back in a ponytail and pinned down so it didn't spike out. Her eyes were happy and forgiving, as he had seen in Tohru's, except, Aloe's were reddish brown. She held a 70% eaten chocolate ice-cream, and she was hugging Akito happily. Akito was wearing a kimono like usual, but with a different pattern. _Akito imagined that Aloe had created in for him with Ayame, but then immediately removed the idea of Ayame and instead thought that those many drawings Aloe had made had been stitched onto fabric and sown together. _His own hair had been tamed in the front so that he could actually see- what a big change! He didn't like the hair as much, so he recreated it with his normal hairstyle. He was also returning the hug, and he was smiling. _

_Aloe and him were talking together, making jokes like she did with everyone else, practically glowing. It was so happy, so sweet. He had been so jealous when she was happy, because she as making everyone else except him happy. _

_He let his anger float away, and then, he heard a song. He had hated the song, but now that he listened to the melody, he loved it. Aloe had played it a long time ago, on a piano with Momiji. Momiji was doing his violin, and she was doing her piano, and Akito order Hatori to have the piano removed. But now, sitting with her, he enjoyed this song. Wishing to himself that the piano had never been taken. _

"Do you like the dream of it?" Tohru asked.

Akito opened his eyes, and to Tohru's surprise, he looked like a totally different person. He looked happy. Forgiving. He had a tenacity in his eyes that said he was now headstrong on doing whatever it took to make Aloe love him. But then, with a great shock, Tohru saw him leaning towards her.

She too leaned towards him, wondering why she felt so compelled. _Wait! Should I really be doing this? _

With one look into Akito's eyes and then a thought, she realized it was what he wanted, and then realized, it was what she truly wanted too. All she wanted, was to be with him. To be next to him, forever.

And before she knew it, her lips were on his. Her eyes were still open, as were his. He had lost his serious look. She had too. And before they knew it, they were hugging each other, kissing.

He stopped, and so did she. He just smiled, as thought he were pleased, which he was.

"We, er, shouldn't have-"

He kissed her to shut her up.

"I've always been against love," He said, not realizing that he was speaking out loud. "I'll be called a hypocrite for falling in love with you, after giving everyone else so much trouble about it!" He wanted to cry. What is he supposed to do?

"Akito," Tohru placed her hand and his, making him awake from his state of fear of being rejected again. "You have been horrible in the past- no, don't tune me out! I don't mean it like that! But if you want everyone to accept this, you have to tell them about it and tell everyone you realize the truth about love. That it can't be helped. You can't just say that we kissed last night, and you can't keep it a secret. You need to apologize, and tell everyone you've changed your mind completely, then a few days after that, you can tell them. But until then," She said, getting up. "I can't distract you."

He grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Please, NO!" He shouted, holding onto her tightly. "I must know what to do for Aloe to accept me!"

Tohru smiled. "Do what your heart says, Akito." And with that very secretive answer, she walked out of the room, without another single word.

* * *

Akito stared happily at Aloe, trying to recreate his idea. He had given her a chocolate ice-cream and gotten himself a strawberry, which Aloe herself had suggested.

They were sitting on a bench, but instead of a kimono she had designed, he had, regrettably, bought a special made by Ayame. It was red and black with dots of a light green.

They just sat there awkwardly, but Akito wasn't ready to give up yet. He remembered, he had asked Hatori for some jokes. Hatori stared at him, then stared at him, then checked him for a fever. When he was convinced that Akito wasn't sick, he told him to call Shigure.

_Akito called him on the telephone- or at least, he thought he had. He pressed the numbers that Hatori said, then pressed the green button with a strange photo on it. He listened to an obnoxious ringing, which made him hang up and try again. When he heard it again, he decided to wait through it. Finally, Shigure answered._

_"HA'RI!" He shouted into the phone, making Akito jump and drop it, then pick it back up. "IT'S BEEN SO LONG, I MISS YOU ALREADY! WHEN ARE YOU COMING OVER? I'M SURE THAT TOHRU COULD FIX YOU SOME FOOD! YOU CAN BRING MOMIJI AND HARU IF YOU WANT!"_

_Akito glared at the stupid device, growled, then slammed it at the wall. "HATORI! THIS STUPID PIECE OF CRUD HAS A WRONG NUMBER!"_

_Hatori appeared quickly, and realized what had happened. He picked up the phone, which was still on. He pressed the speaker button to turn it off, and the volume went back to normal. _

_"Ha'ri!" Shigure whined. "Why are you so mean to me?"_

_Hatori glared at the wall as thought Shigure were standing there. "That was Akito. He was trying to work the phone so that you could tell him some jokes."_

_Shigure smiled happily. "What type of jokes? I have em all! Good ones, bad ones, corny ones, inappropriate ones-"_

_"He wants to tell Aloe some jokes." Hatori cut him off coldly._

_Shigure sat there, a bead of sweat forming on his head. "Oh. Okay, try this one!"_

Akito looked at the nervous looking Aloe, who just stared at the melting ice-cream in her hand. "Knock-Knock!" He exclaimed heartily and loudly, as though there wasn't a single other person in the park.

She stared at him. "Wait, what?"

"Ben!" He said merrily, acting very, very, very out of character.

She stared at him as though he were from another plant. "Ben WHAT?"

"Bend down and lick my shoe!" Akito declared loudly as Shigure had instructed. But instead of seeing Aloe laugh out loud like he said she would, she began to feel his head as Hatori had. "What on earth are you doing?" He shouted, enraged that this stupid joke hadn't worked.

"Was that a joke?" She asked, poker face.

Akito sat there, very angry. He fumed, "_ . .NOW._"

She frowned once more, then handed Akito her smart phone Hatori had given her for emergencies a while ago. Akito dialed the same number Hatori had, then pressed the green button. This time, he made sure it wasn't on speaker. _Ugh, this eternal ringing!_ Akito thought, upset.

"Aloe! I'm so happy to hear a familiar voice! Is ol' boring Akito making this a long and sad trip? Is he telling bad jokes?" Akito turned bright red with anger.

"THIS IS AKITO!" He shouted into the phone, about to crush it.

Shigure coughed. "Um, I sowwy, dis' is Miss Chan's dwy cweaning! We dwy and cwean evwey day!" He said. "I dink you 'ave a wong numbo." Shigure hung up quickly, avoiding the next comment.

Akito threw the phone at the ground and began jumping on it repeatedly. Aloe stared.

"So you've been trying to.. er, get me to accept you, huh?" Aloe asked, smiling lightly at Akito's anger. He looked up from his adult temper tantrum.

He apologized briefly and picked up the broken, crushed phone. "Um, I'll have Hatori buy you a new one..."

"Tohru told me." She said, eating her ice-cream quickly.

Akito felt a bit scared. "How much?"

"Let's just say I will NEVER let you and her stay in a room together for more than ten seconds ever again. And I also know about the 'lessons'." She said, laughing.

For some reason, Akito was compelled to laugh as well.

After about an hour of talking, they were actually, like Akito had pictured, hugging.

"By the way," Aloe said, looking up at Akito. "I'm okay with it." He was about to ask what that meant, but she said it. "You and Tohru, I mean. I think it's sweet. Especially if we become sister in laws!" Aloe said happily.

Akito snickered, and smiled. Life was good.

* * *

"Everyone!" Akito shouted. It had been about a week, and everyone was gathered at a dinner table. "I wanted to apologize to anyone who has been in love, and couldn't be becuase of me. I recently learned what real love means, and.. and I wanted to say I'm so sorry for keeping you from something that improtant and amazing. Hatori, I know what I've done is so, so, so horrible. I am so sorry for doing that to you, and tearing you and Kana apart. Hiro, Kisa, I'm so sorry for forcing you both apart for one another. I should have known better. And to anyone else, I wish that I had never hurt you. Please, forgive me." He said, tears streaming down his face.

Kisa and Hiro forgave him, Hiro being the more reluctant, but nonetheless, he forgave him and offered a brief hug. Hatori had already forgiven him, but knowing that he meant it made him even more happy. A small shadow of a smile had came over Hatori's face.

But Tohru, she was glowing. And Akito was so, so, so very happy to have her. So happy that he didn't have to give her up. So happy, that he knew what love was.

* * *

**NOT DONE YET! I know it's really long, and I hope you all liked it! I really apologize for how out of character he acted, but I don't have years like normal writers do to mainpulate their characters slowly. Anyways, I hope you liked it! No spam please!**

**Love you guys (in the author-reader sort of way (;) THANKS! REVIEW! That means you, Akito Sohma 101.**


	14. Chapter 14 And Epilogue

**Lol, alright KarminLove3. Thanks for the reviews! :)**

**Okay, I have decided to end the story with this chapter, but I hope that you all LOVE it. **

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"No you don't." Aloe said, following after Akito and Tohru, who were sneaking away towards the door to escape her. She had been chaperoning their date- Hatori's orders. He knew about them, and he also knew that Aloe would definitely watch them well. He didn't have to worry while she was on the job.

Tohru smiled. "Aloe, can't Akito and I have some privacy-"

"Nope." Aloe said, crossing her arms. "I'll come with you on the walk." She said happily pulling on her sneakers. "You won't even notice that I'm there!" She said, giving them a thumbs up and pushing the out the door.

* * *

"OH NO YOU DON'T AKITO!" Aloe said, pulling her arm off Tohru's shoulder. She glared at him, then pointed with two fingers to her eyes, then to him, saying that she had her eyes on him. She began to walk away, but Akito was too fed up with this.

He grabbed her shouder and she flinched, the memories of abuse she had taken flooding back. She started to run, controlled by fear, and Akito felt shocked. He hadn't meant to scare her! He was going to tell her to go home, not hurt her! He sprinted after her, his thin legs faster than her large ones.

Tohru stood still in shock, not sure what to do. Eventually, she began running after them, not sure which one she needed to be following.

Akito eventually grabbed Aloe and they both fell onto the grass in the park, staining his new outfit. Tohru had talked him into a baggy shirt and baggy jeans, much like the kimono, only, more manly and two seperate items.

Aloe screamed, fighting his grip, when he spoke. "Aloe! Quit it! I'm not going to hurt you!" She stoped thrashing around and stared at him. "Aloe, I know that you're scared of what might happen to Tohru if we are together, and I brea her heart." Aloe eyes shined in fear of what he was going to do because of her thoughts. "But I won't! She's like.. like spring to me. She is too important to me to let go of. I used to think she was weak like you," Aloe glared. "But now, I know the truth. I know why you loved her.." He said, a smile going over his face.

Aloe stared into his eyes, wondering if what he was saying was real.

"Because she accepted you. Because she loved you, no matter what kind of bad thing or sin you had ever done in the past. She never rejected you. She doesn't ever reject people, even if they are serial killers who have killed 40 people. She never shows unjustice, and that's what's so special about her." His eyes shimmered, like hers did occasionally. "I know it's hard to picture me, loving someone, but I do. I love her."

Tohru came jogging towards them, completely out of breath. She didn't see them, behind a tree and laying in the grass, Aloe's perfect new white dress stained horribly with the grass.

"Aloe! Akito! Please come back! I can't run anymore, I'm so out of shape!" She said, half laughing. She was trying to make them feel happier by poking fun at herself. "Please, I really don't want to be a reason of fighting! Let's go get an ice-cream!"

Akito and Aloe smiled at the thought of ice-cream. Akito had a new-found love for it, and Aloe had always craved it.

"Please, Aloe," Akito pleaded before they got up. "Please, can you just trust me?"

Aloe throught a moment, then looked into his eyes. "I can, but you need to take care of her. I know that you both love each other," Aloe looked embarassed for a moment. "That's why I don't want you to be alone. Because I know that.. you know, you guys will.." She looked up, blushing.

"We won't leave you behind." Akito said, wishing his younger sister could comprehend this point easier. "I promise you that. And I won't ever chase you down like this, I swear." Akito said, snickering to himself.

Aloe and Akito both got up and joined Tohru, who was still looking for them. She smiled to see them, and they began walking towards the ice-cream vender.

But as they approached, a young man was jogging by, just when Aloe walked forwards. They crashed into each other, causing her to fall over. The young man caught her before she fell, and pulled her back up.

"Sorry!" He said.

She opened her eyes cautiously, and looked down. To her surprise, she hadn't changed. She still had stubby legs, a grass-stained white dress, and two hands with long, narrow fingers. She looked up, and hugged the stranger's neck, making him feel quite awkward.

"THANK YOU!" She shouted, hugging him tightly.

A bead of sweat formed on the back of his head. "Er, I just caught you." He cleared his throat. "Well, I better be leaving." She let go of him, and he began running twice as fast as before.

She turned to Akito and Tohru, who stared at her, not sure if what they saw was real. Aloe launched herself into Tohru's arms for a hug, and she was pleased to discover she wasn't transforming.

* * *

**-Five Months Later-**

Akito and Tohru were still going strong, in love as ever. Akito had thought of proposing, but since she was only sixteen almost seventeen, he couldn't take her away from school. It had been a promise to her mother, and he couldn't take that promise from her.

Shigure's second book hit the market (to Mi's happiness, he had gotten his chapters in by time) and was a #1 bestseller for 4 weeks, still going on. Of course, Uo still thought it was trash, but she still bought a copy. Hana had two copies, one for her bag and one for her house so she could read it whenever she liked.

Of course, Yuki and Kyo got into the occasional fight, but it was much less violent since Kyo didn't have to prove himself anymore. They, in fact, had been getting along better, and believe it or not, have been enjoying each other's company.. so far..

Haru and Rin got back together, now not having to worry about Akito getting in their way, and the same went for Hiro and Kisa. Hiro had tried to get Haru to bring them all on a double date, but Haru saw no reason for such a ridiculous idea.

Hatori still served Akito, but not as faithfully. Now that Akito wasn't his boss, what Hatori really did during the day was hang around the house, enjoying himself with his whole family- except for one person who spent most of his time with Tohru.

Kagura still wasn't having any luck getting Kyo to love her. (Big shock there.)

Ayame's shop was mentioned in Shigure's book, and it had become as famous as Shigure's books. But Yuki and Ayame still weren't really getting along. Akito had tried to tell Ayame how to do it, since Akito and Aloe had become so close, but taking Yuki out for an ice-cream didn't exactly work for Ayame.

Lastly, Aloe had been hanging out with all her friends like usual- her cousins, uncles, brothers, and a certain pair of friends from school (Tohru, Uo, and Hana) but she had also been doing something else: she had learned to skateboard-

"ALOE!" Akito shouted, sprinting after the red headed girl riding a skateboard as fast as a rocket across the Sohma Main Estate. She ran over a patch of flowers, and with a twinge of guilt and rebellion, she realized it had been Akito's specially planted flowers he was growing for Tohru with the help of Yuki.

She snickered. _This is what you get for using all my paints and a canvas to paint Tohru without my permission._ She thought happily, riding quickly.

Akito's eyes seemed to be flames as he saw what she had run over with her skateboard. "ALOE, THOSE WERE TOHRU'S FLOWERS!" He exploded, running after her on the grass. "GET BACK HERE!"

Tohru and the others gathered outside and began laughing together as the watched Aloe do a move the made her go up the trunk of a tree, and jet back down towards the opposite direction she had been going. Akito grabbed her skateboard and threw it at a tree, snapping it in half.

"Awh, Akito! Why ya' gotta be so mean?" She whined. He turned his flaming eyes towards her direction and she toof off running towards a house, where she climbed onto the roof.

Tohru giggled. _Looks like the Sohmas actually are acting like a family, huh Mom? _

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**How was that? I personally loved the skateboarding part. Lol, I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did. To think, I would have kept the idea all to myself if I hadn't found a few months ago! Haha, well, review it for me! Be sure to tell me every detail so I can thank you! **

**Thanks for being such good readers! :) And thanks, for reading!**


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